


Bound To Stars

by morgay



Category: Warrior Cats - Fandom
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Anger, Angst, Batty has anger issues, Cats, Comedy, Death, Emotional Abuse, F/M, Fanfiction, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief, Human characteristics, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, In the works, Large cast of characters - Freeform, More tags and characters to be added, Not really though, OCs - Freeform, RiverClan, Romance, Sadness, Set in StarClan/The Forgotten Eternity, Shadow/ThunderClan centric, ShadowClan, StarClan, ThunderClan, Verbal Abuse, Warrior Cats, WindClan, happiness, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-04-16 16:06:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 30,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgay/pseuds/morgay
Summary: Batchaser isn't exactly the most valuable StarClan cat. With a distaste toward sending ridiculous prophecies and omens to his living counterparts, the ShadowClanner often stays away from the more loopy side of his heaven. However, when Batchaser remembers how he died, he decides to send a dreadful fake prophecy to the Clans; one that threatens to tear the whole idea of Warrior Cats apart for the rest of time. With a couple of buddies and a tongue that could scorch the bark off of trees, Batchaser has to learn how to grasp the idea of acceptance, grief, selflessness, and most importantly... friendship.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction I’ve been working on since late 2016. It’s still heavily in the works but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! 
> 
> For any questions or concerns, please be referred to @WarriorzLove on Wattpad. The original work resides there.
> 
> Enjoy, everyone!

_"ShadowClan, attack!"_

⠀⠀Rippletail's battle cry echoed in the air, the ginger tom leaping into the mass of cats below. Batchaser wasn't far behind him, outstretching his claws to meet the throat of a distracted ThunderClan warrior.

⠀⠀He latched himself onto the brown tom, the two cats rolling in the dirt. The black tom slashed his claws down Paleheart's cheek, kicking the other tom off of him.

⠀⠀"ShadowClan scum!" Paleheart spat as he staggered to his paws, blood dripping down his face. "You've always been ignorant enough to believe you owned our territory!"

⠀⠀"ThunderClan is fat." Batchaser drew his lips back into a snarl. "You need no extra prey!"

⠀⠀A fire blazed in Paleheart's eyes as he whacked Batchaser in the nose. The black tom stumbled back and narrowed his eyes. "The kittypet can fight, eh?"

⠀⠀"I'm not a kittypet!" the tom growled.

⠀⠀Batchaser snickered. "ThunderClan brings so many in, I don't even know who's Clanborn anymore."

⠀⠀Not even responding, Paleheart leapt forward and aimed for the ShadowClan warrior's exposed neck. Batchaser thought quickly and ducked his head, smashing headfirst into the other tom. Paleheart yowled in shock and hit the ground. The black tom gritted his teeth as pain shot through his head.

⠀⠀"Y-You'll never take this territory," Paleheart stammered in determination. "We won't let you."

⠀⠀"Your Clan of kittypets won't stop our Clan of warriors," Batchaser scowled. "Maybe it'll teach you a lesson not to be so welcoming to every cat you come across."

⠀⠀"ThunderClan is strong because of our kindness!" Paleheart hissed. "Unlike _your_ Clan, we're liked."

⠀⠀"We're _feared_." Batchaser bared his teeth. "You're fools to try and mess with us. You'll learn soon enough."

⠀⠀"ThunderClan will take it's chances." The brown tom thrust his head toward Batchaser, ripping his pearly white claws through the tom's ear. The ShadowClan warrior shrieked in fury and backpedaled, eyes widening as blood ran down his face.

⠀⠀"Now you know how it feels," Paleheart spat. "Get out of here while you still can."

⠀⠀"' _I'll take my chances_ ,'" Batchaser mimicked the ThunderClan tom.

⠀⠀"Then you will regret your choice."

⠀⠀Batchaser felt the wind get knocked out of him when a cat smashed into his side. He gasped for breath as he hit the muddy ground, a brown color splattering over his fur.

⠀⠀A small white tom was standing over him, smirking. "Not so tough now, are you?"

⠀⠀"I'm not afraid of kittypets," Batchaser snarled, using his hind legs to kick the white tom's jaw. The apprentice's eyes widened as he leapt back, stumbling around as though he were dizzy.

⠀⠀Finding his chance, the ShadowClan warrior leapt to his paws, able to breathe again, and aimed his claws toward the white tom's throat. He yowled in surprise when he was pulled back. Batchaser swiveled his head around and noticed Paleheart's jaws wrapped around his tail.

⠀⠀The black tom turned and crashed into the warrior. He then felt a pair of five claws insert themselves into his back. He closed his eyes and let out a shriek when crimson red blood dripped down his flank, the apprentice's claws sinking deeper into his skin.

⠀⠀Paleheart narrowed his eyes when he noticed Batchaser's pain, proceeding to bite into the black warrior's throat and rip it open. The ShadowClan tom opened his jaws and let out a horrified shriek as black spots edged his vision.

⠀⠀He fell to his side, gasping for any air he could catch his breath on. Blood pooled around his body, Paleheart and the apprentice running off and leaping onto other ShadowClan cats.

⠀⠀Nothing felt real anymore. A gray pelt flashed in front of his eyes, ShadowClan's medicine cat staring at Batchaser in horror. The she-cat was trying to talk to him, but he couldn't respond. He didn't know why Cloudflame cared. He was going to die. She should be treating other cats, not him.

⠀⠀He shook his head and let his head fall. He had no energy or strength. He curled his claws in as pain seared through his body.

⠀⠀Batchaser took his last dying breath, the darkness covering his vision once and for all. When the pain disappeared, the ShadowClan warrior opened his blue eyes and was greeted with a beautiful world full of stars.

⠀⠀StarClan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, everyone! New book! This idea is based off of a roleplay I had with @/FallingSkies89 (on Wattpad), but I'm using different characters. I'm very excited to write this book and I hope you enjoy it! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path✨


	2. Remembrance

_The black tom eyed_ the mouse with sharp blue eyes. He kept completely still, his ears flattened and his tail straightened out. The former ShadowClan tom licked his lips and leapt forward, landing squarely on the mouse. It let out a squeak of alarm but Batchaser silenced it with a killing bite.

⠀⠀He crouched down and tore a piece of flesh off of the mouse. He chewed and looked around the forest, happy he was finally being left alone. An annoyed growl rumbled in the back of his throat. _About time._

⠀⠀Apparently, Batchaser was supposed to send omens and prophecies to his former Clanmates. Yewstar, that old hag, had chewed him out for never visiting them.

⠀⠀ _How is it my problem if they live or die?_ Batchaser thought, tearing off another morsel. _I don't care what happens down there! I'm up here, and I'm not going to be some prophecy-obsessed, idiotic, mysterious kitty. No one can make me._

⠀⠀The black tom shrugged and stood up, outstretching his paws and arching his back. His jaws split into a yawn and he closed his eyes. _This_ was luxury!

⠀⠀The former ShadowClan warrior turned, abandoning his mouse, and trekked on through the forest path. Batchaser flicked an ear, looking around at the trees. _Maybe if I'm annoyed with cats telling me what to do all the time, I can just come here. I haven't seen any cat in this forest all day. It's a good hideout._

⠀⠀Batchaser let out a startled yowl when he saw a flash of splotched fur. When claws dug into his flank, he wheeled around and noticed a small tortoiseshell she-cat clawing at his pelt. Furious, Batchaser grabbed the she-cat and threw her off, watching her kick up dirt as she hit the ground. _I spoke too soon._

⠀⠀"What were you doing?!" Batchaser spat.

⠀⠀"I was practicing my stalking skills!" she responded, narrowing her green eyes. "Why did you do that to me? That hurt, you know!"

⠀⠀The blue-eyed tom's claws dug into the ground. "This is StarClan, kit! Not the forest down with the living. Learn to respect the warriors of your Clan."

⠀⠀She stood to her paws, lashing her tail. "Whatever! I don't have time to argue with fish-brains like you."

⠀⠀Batchaser curled his lip. "You are young and disrespectful. No wonder you're dead."

⠀⠀The she-cat froze. She stared at Batchaser in shock, then lashed out at him in fury. The black tom grabbed her flank and forced her to the ground, placing a paw on her chest.

⠀⠀"Try and attack me one more time," Batchaser began, furious, "and you'll know what it's like to have _real_ wounds."

⠀⠀The she-cat groaned and the former ShadowClan warrior let her up. She glared at him. "I'm gonna tell Jackalstar about this! She won't be happy with you."

⠀⠀Batchaser snarled. "I don't care if she's happy or not. She's not my parent, she wasn't even a _Clanmate_ , so go ahead and waste your time with her."

⠀⠀The tortoiseshell she-cat hissed at him and turned on her heel, raising her head high in the air and puffing out her chest as she exited the clearing. Batchaser watched her go, claws itching to rip through her stupid little ears. _She deserves it!_

⠀⠀The black tom sighed and rolled his eyes. _I guess this isn't a good place to stay. That means I'll have to find somewhere else to go._

⠀⠀Batchaser flicked his tail and padded on. He had been happy a second ago, but now something was eating away at him. It made his stomach churn. But he didn't know what it was.

⠀⠀ _Why are you worried?_ Batchaser scowled. _Stop being a scaredy-cat._

⠀⠀But even then he couldn't control it. Batchaser stopped when he remembered a name. A name he was supposed to have forgotten. That brainless apprentice had just reminded him of this cat.

⠀⠀Paleheart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah! I'm actually updating this book really fast! I'm so excited to write this and I hope you guys are pumped as well!! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path


	3. Revenge

_Batchaser exited the forest_ , staring down at his paws. Why did he remember? StarClan cats were supposed to forget how they died. So..why did _he_ remember?

⠀⠀The black tom's claws sunk into the ground. Paleheart had killed him mercilessly. He'd ripped open his throat without even thinking twice and leapt right back into battle.

⠀⠀Anger lapped at his belly. It felt like a fireball was being summoned in his stomach. Killing another cat was against the warrior code. _Maybe Paleheart was punished. But it has been a while since I died, so it wouldn't even matter. Unless he was exiled._ Batchaser doubted it. Doestar probably didn't even know what her stupid warrior had done.

⠀⠀The black tom pondered for a few moments. He had an idea. It wasn't something good, but he wanted revenge against Paleheart. Anything.

⠀⠀ _Paleheart has a mate, right? And kits?_ Batchaser smirked. He could make a fake prophecy. Send Paleheart spiraling into a deep hole of terror and paranoia. He wanted to. So badly. But how would he? He'd never sent a prophecy or omen, despite being told to so many times.

⠀⠀The tom flicked an ear. He'd have to follow someone and find out where he could contact the living cats of the Clans.

⠀⠀One cat crossed his mind -- _Jackalstar_. The she-cat had been the former leader of ThunderClan, and always seemed to be talking to her former Clanmates. _I'll follow her. She can lead me to wherever they go to visit dreams._

⠀⠀Batchaser scanned the lands. There was a beautiful sparkling river that ran under a rock that allowed cats to walk from either side. A huge moor was located to the right of the river, a dark forest hardly visible. It was a mixture between oak and pine trees. The black tom usually stayed in this forest, however.

⠀⠀Shaking his head, he ran down the slope and looked for any cat he could. He spotted a white tabby she-cat licking her paw, laughing at a brown tabby tom that accidentally fell in the river. Batchaser narrowed his eyes as he padded closer to them. The she-cat noticed him and turned his way, the tom staggering to his paws and watching Batchaser near the duo.

⠀⠀"Hello," the she-cat greeted with a purr. "What brings you here?"

⠀⠀Batchaser flicked an ear. "Do you know where Jackalstar is?"

⠀⠀The she-cat nodded. "Yes." She pointed with her tail to the forest past the moor. "Just down there. You should spot her."

⠀⠀"Why are you looking for her?" the brown tabby tom inquired as he stepped out of the river, shaking the water out from his pelt. His fur instantly became dry, as if he hadn't even gotten it wet.

⠀⠀Batchaser shrugged and didn't reply, beginning to pad away.

⠀⠀"Hey! I asked you a question!" the tom called, running after him. Batchaser reeled on him and thrust his muzzle into his face, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.

⠀⠀"I heard you," the black tom snarled. "I just didn't bother to answer you."

⠀⠀The brown tabby's hackles rose and he took a step back, narrowing his yellow eyes. "Fine. I was just trying to be nice." He turned and walked back to his friend, or mate, whatever they were, and eyed Batchaser as he sprinted across the moor.

⠀⠀The black tom looked around as he ran. _Jackalstar...I could easily spot her in a gathering, so why can't I find her now?_ She had brown patches over a snowy-white pelt and fiery blue eyes tinged with an amber-yellow color. Definitely recognizable.

⠀⠀His heart soared when he spotted her. She was walking alongside a gray tom with black splotches near the forest. She didn't even notice Batchaser as he dove behind a bush, flattening his ears as he stalked after them.

⠀⠀The black tom felt content as he followed them. _Jackalstar might just lead me to where I need to go, and if so, I'm going to get my revenge on Paleheart. What more could I ask for?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't great, but I'm trying to stay positive. I have a lot planned for this book and I'm not going to start pounding myself with criticism already. It was a little rushed but, nevertheless, I hope you liked it anyway!
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path✨


	4. Secret Knowledge

_The black tom had_ been stalking after Jackalstar and her companion for a while now. Batchaser noticed that, as they walked farther from the heart of StarClan, the sky began to grow dark. He narrowed his blue eyes, shaking his head and scurrying through the brambles to catch up to the two cats.

⠀⠀He angled his ears, trying to catch what Jackalstar was saying to the gray-and-black tom.

⠀⠀"This is serious, Galewhisker!" Jackalstar hissed, whipping to the tom.

⠀⠀"I'm not saying it's not," Galewhisker responded calmly, padding and leaving the white she-cat to catch up to him. Batchaser was intrigued. What were they talking about?

⠀⠀"Then maybe you should be a little more worried than you are now," she growled, her claws sinking into the ground with each pawstep.

⠀⠀"I don't need you to tell me how to feel," the gray tom replied. "I'm capable of that myself."

⠀⠀"Clearly you need a lesson, then." Jackalstar shook her head. "This omen...it will shape the future of every Clan cat for the rest of eternity. If they don't take it seriously, the Clans will fall."

⠀⠀Galewhisker flicked an ear and didn't reply. They walked on in silence. The former ShadowClan warrior flexed his claws as the sky was changing into a navy color. He swiveled his head around, the light of day behind him where the center of StarClan was.

⠀⠀When Batchaser turned his head back around, Jackalstar and Galewhisker were gone. His eyes widened and he ran up the slope, not caring about being spotted at this point. The black tom looked around frantically. _I can't lose them!_

⠀⠀"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice snickered from behind him.

⠀⠀Batchaser whipped around, recognizing the voice as Jackalstar's. Her eyes held a challenge and she had the posture to tell anyone she had absolute authority. Galewhisker padded up behind her, staying silent as he observed the former ShadowClan warrior.

⠀⠀"Just exploring." Batchaser flicked his tail and locked eyes with Jackalstar, not flinching away.

⠀⠀The she-cat let out a chuckle. "You're never _just_ exploring." She circled around him, looking the tom up and down. "After all, you are from ShadowClan."

⠀⠀"And because you're from ThunderClan, that gives you the right to nose around in another Clan's business?" Batchaser raised a brow at her.

⠀⠀"Jackalstar," Galewhisker called, voice deep and gravelly. "We should get out of here."

⠀⠀"No." She narrowed her blue eyes at Batchaser. "We need to find out what he overheard."

⠀⠀"Oh?" Batchaser acted surprised. "What kind of secrets should we know about?"

⠀⠀Jackalstar and Galewhisker looked at each other before turning back to the black tom. "It's an omen. And the cats receiving it will be deciding every Clan's future."

⠀⠀"Who are these cats?" Batchaser questioned. "I hope it's not just ThunderClan, but I suppose it doesn't matter; you guys _are_ every cat's savior! Why would we ever defy you? You should just take the place of StarClan itself!"

⠀⠀"Cut the act and tell us what you really heard," Jackalstar snarled, marching up to the black tom. He smirked as he watched her anger unfold on him.

⠀⠀Batchaser then shrugged, flicking his tail. "I just heard a little bit. You know, your mousedung on how the Clans will be affected by this, blah blah blah, I didn't really care to listen to the rest."

⠀⠀"You can't tell anyone," Jackalstar ordered. "It's too dangerous."

⠀⠀"Who are you to decide who's worthy enough to know?" the black tom challenged, flicking his tail.

⠀⠀"Don't act like you deserve to know the fate of the Clans," Jackalstar spat, eyes blazing. "You've never helped out here in any way. You're lazy and selfish. You're completely useless here!"

⠀⠀Batchaser rolled his eyes, not at all being affected by the white she-cat's insults. "Not just me, idiot. Every StarClan cat. They should get to know what might happen to their past Clans. After all, they want their former Clanmates to thrive, correct?"

⠀⠀She shook her head briskly. "No. We can't tell them. There would be chaos and no order. StarClan would fall."

⠀⠀"You don't know that will happen!" The blue-eyed tom's claws sunk into the ground. "The others might actually want to help. There might _be_ no chaos."

⠀⠀"I'm not risking it. Go home, Batchaser." Her voice was stern and her teeth were clenched.

⠀⠀Anger burned inside the tom. "I'm not leaving. Thanks though, Your Majesty."

⠀⠀Jackalstar unsheathed her claws. Galewhisker leapt in front of her, narrowing his green eyes. "Jackalstar, no. Just let him go. He's right; you aren't the leader of StarClan."

⠀⠀She looked furious and shoved the gray tom aside. "We'll talk later," she spat, whipping her head back to Batchaser. "Fine. You can go. Just don't get in our way."

⠀⠀"Might as well travel with you guys since we're going to the same place." A smirk formed on the black tom's jaws and Jackalstar looked ready to kill. Galewhisker's careful gaze shifted between the two, seeming as if he were ready to stop any fight that might form between them.

⠀⠀Jackalstar didn't reply and stalked away from him, Galewhisker glancing at Batchaser as he ran after her. The black tom turned and trudged up the slope, staying a few foxlengths behind them.

⠀⠀ _That was interesting_ , Batchaser thought, lifting his eyes to the dark, starry sky. _However... I feel like they didn't tell me everything. They know something I don't. And I need to figure out what it is._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I got another chapter out fairly quickly, and I'm actually pretty proud of this one ;3; Jackalstar is definitely going to play an important role in this story, and maybe even Galewhisker ... I suppose you'll find out soon enough :)
> 
> Anyway, if you could tell me how you feel about these three characters that would be great! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path✨


	5. The Star-Filled Pool

_It felt like the_ three cats had been walking for moons. Batchaser ducked his head and let out a sigh, trudging up the slope. He noticed that the grass began to disappear, being replace by cold, hard stone. Flicking his ears back, he ran up the hill, bolting past Jackalstar and Galewhisker.

⠀⠀"He's an idiot," Batchaser heard Jackalstar growl, her piercing blue-amber eyes not leaving him. The black tom ignored her and looked down into a pool full of glittering water.

⠀⠀His paws wouldn't move. The tom had never seen something so beautiful. The reflection of the stars shone in the water, causing the tom to look up into the navy sky.

⠀⠀"Hurry it up, you've already wasted enough of our time!" Jackalstar spat, lashing her tail. Batchaser gave her an exasperated look and leaped down. He noticed the pawprints of his ancient ancestors, his paws nearly fitting into the shapes.

⠀⠀"What do I do?" Batchaser inquired, looking past the white she-cat and directly at Galewhisker.

⠀⠀Jackalstar let out a wheezing laugh. The gray tom's whiskers twitched in amusement and he looked down at the pool. "Touch your nose to it. It's quite easy."

⠀⠀Jackalstar shoved Batchaser out of the way and bent down, her nose touching the water. Galewhisker flicked his tail, crouching down beside the snappy she-cat and doing the same.

⠀⠀The black tom curled his tail. This was it. He was really going to do this. Closing his eyes, Batchaser touched his soft pink nose to the glittering pool of light, gasping as darkness covered his gaze.

⠀⠀When he blinked open his eyes, he was in a large clearing; The Gathering Place, to be exact. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement, his claws flexing with anticipation.

⠀⠀"So, what are you doing here?" Jackalstar asked, jerking Batchaser out of his thoughts. The black tom turned to face her, shrugging.

⠀⠀"I just wanted to check this place out. It's pretty awesome, you know?" he responded coolly.

⠀⠀The she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I know. And you'd know too, if you gave omens and prophecies to your Clan."

⠀⠀Batchaser rolled his eyes. "Curse my old Clan. They'd never give a rat's tail for me. I guess I didn't get along with too many cats."

⠀⠀"Yeah, I know their pain..." Jackalstar muttered. "Anyway, just choose what Clan you want to go to, and what cat's dream you want to visit."

⠀⠀The black tom cocked a brow. "Yeah? And how do I do that...?"

⠀⠀"Just look down."

⠀⠀"Look down? Why--" When the tom's eyes flickered down to the ground, he let out a startled gasp and his heart nearly fell out of his chest. Below him were the Clans' territories, looking like ant's homes from up here. A wide grin spread across Batchaser's jaws, excitement flaring through his whole body.

⠀⠀Jackalstar flicked her ear and muttered something, her frame beginning to fade. The blue-eyed tom watched as the white-and-brown she-cat disappeared, a dull light floating down toward WindClan's territory. Was that _her_? Batchaser shook his head, looking around for Galewhisker. He'd come too, hadn't he?

⠀ _⠀I guess he left before I even arrived. Didn't really care much for conversation with me. Eh. Can't blame him, I guess._ The black tom turned his attention toward ThunderClan's territory, intrigued that he could see their camp like he was a cloud. Could his Clanmates see _him_? Was he a bright shining star in the sky right now?

⠀⠀Batchaser narrowed his eyes. Jackalstar had told him to choose a Clan, but how did he get there? "This probably won't work, but... ThunderClan?" The black tom shook his head, but let out a gasp as he slowly began to drift from the sky toward their territory. His eyes widened and he let out a gleeful yowl, but it only echoed in his ears. He wondered if he looked like the light he'd seen when Jackalstar had gone to WindClan. Possibly.

⠀⠀The black tom eventually reached the camp, seeming to return to his cat form. He pricked his ears in interest at the layers of rock that surrounded him. He'd never actually been in or seen ThunderClan's camp. It was interesting. Batchaser picked out the closest den to what seemed to be the leader's, sticking his head in and flicking his skinny tail.

⠀⠀He noticed many large cats sleeping, proud of himself for being able to guess the warriors' den so quickly. He narrowed his eyes, trying to find a familiar pale brown pelt. The black tom eventually found Paleheart's nest, staring down at this horrible, cold-hearted tom. The tom that had killed him. Had ruined his life. All Batchaser wanted to do was slash his claws across his throat, but he couldn't kill him in his sleep.

⠀⠀Shaking his head, Batchaser tentatively placed his paw on Paleheart, gasping as darkness again surrounded his vision. His eyes snapped open, fur prickling in annoyance when he heard the ThunderClan warrior's shrill call. "Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?"

⠀⠀Rolling his blue eyes, Batchaser stepped out of the darkness, trying to appear as ominous as possible. Paleheart gasped, his eyes landing on the ShadowClan warrior he had killed.

⠀⠀Immediately, the pale brown tom fell to the ground, beginning to let out heavy sobs. "I'm sorry, Batchaser! I didn't mean it! I was being so stupid! I didn't want to kill you! But I did! And I feel horrible! You have no idea!! Please, oh, please forgive me!"

⠀⠀Batchaser stared at the tom, looking back up and shaking his head. Did this idiotic ThunderClanner really expect him to give him forgiveness? Whatever. This wasn't what he was here to do.

⠀⠀"I'm here for something else, actually," Batchaser meowed, narrowing his eyes as he stared down at Paleheart. The brown tom stood to his paws, eyes wide as moons. "I'm here to give you a prophecy."

⠀⠀"M--Me?" Paleheart choked out. "But... but I killed you! I don't deserve to receive a prophecy!"

⠀⠀ _Yes, you! Do you see anyone else here?_

⠀⠀Batchaser pushed away his irritation and nodded. "Yes. Listen closely, Paleheart, and don't forget it." He paused, hoping to add suspense. _"The delicate feather will be caught in the flames of fury, and the thunderous clouds will fall under past mistakes."_

⠀⠀Paleheart's eyes widened. Batchaser had a hard time forcing himself not to smirk. _His mate, Featherpelt, is sure to be the first to come to mind. Gingerflame, his deputy, will come next. The thundering clouds obviously means ThunderClan, and past mistakes means Paleheart's slip-up for killing me._

⠀⠀Of course, it was rat crap. None of that was real, and it's not like it was going to come true. But Paleheart didn't know that. He'd probably make the error of telling his Clan the prophecy, and get paranoid for his mate's safety. _Then, if Doestar finds out that Paleheart killed a ShadowClan warrior, he's sure to make a connection between he and Gingerflame, since their deputy is the only cat in the Clan with a fire-related name. At least, I'm guessing that's what will happen. I hope. I'll ruin Paleheart's perfect little life, and he'll forever regret murdering me in cold blood._

⠀⠀"What does it mean??" Paleheart asked. "I need to know!"

⠀⠀Batchaser was quiet, staring at the pale brown tom and beginning to disappear on purpose. The brown tom let out a screech of fear, demanding the former ShadowClan warrior to tell him what the prophecy meant, but he didn't.

⠀⠀And as Batchaser faded from the ThunderClanner's dream, he left Paleheart in a state of paranoia, stress, and anxiety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for such a late update! One whole month... ugh... Let's consider it a late Christmas gift, right before New Years! I hope all of you got amazing presents, and have an awesome new year! 2017 is finally here.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter; it's a little longer this time! It was really fun to write, and I look forward to continuing Batchaser's story!
> 
> So, please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path☄️


	6. Placed Blame

_Batchaser was laying in_ a makeshift nest under the towering oak trees, his nose twitching as a leaf fell on top of it. He blinked his blue eyes open and batted the green leaf off, groaning as he picked himself to his paws.

⠀⠀The tom straightened his back as he pulled himself into a sitting position, laying his thin tail around his black paws. Batchaser flicked an ear and examined his surroundings; the tree he was lying under was massive, much larger than any other trees in this forest. It's branches wove together like snakes, intertwining to make following the branches even more confusing, with tendrils hanging from the sides.

⠀⠀It vaguely reminded him of a tree he used to sit under back in ShadowClan's territory, in the living world. Back when he was _alive_. Batchaser's claws flexed as he remembered how it felt to live; he missed ShadowClan's dark territory, he missed the different types of weather, he missed gaining scars and wounds. If only he could return.

⠀⠀Batchaser had never had these thoughts before. It was always fine for him to be dead; that hadn't ever bothered him. But now? Batchaser felt lonelier than ever.

⠀⠀ _ **"WELL IF YOU'D KEEP YOUR CLAN OUT OF EVERYONE'S BUSINESS, MAYBE THIS WOULDN'T BE THE CASE!"**_

⠀⠀Batchaser was jerked back into reality as the shriek of a tom rang throughout the forest. His ears pricked and he lifted himself to his paws, following the distant sound of arguing voices.

⠀⠀When the black tom stopped by the bushes, he shrunk low to the ground, flicking his ears back as he peered through the foliage. He caught sight of a white tom adorned with black stripes, his green eyes sharper than jagged ice. Batchaser followed the white tom's gaze and immediately recognized Jackalstar.

⠀⠀"Oh, shut your jaws, Shellstar. You're just placing the blame on ThunderClan, because apparently _trying to help others means we're the cause of all problems_!"

⠀⠀Shellstar curled his lip, beginning to circle Jackalstar, who stood her ground with defiant amber-yellow eyes.

⠀⠀"Like I said, it's not our fault," Jackalstar continued when there was a moment of silence between the two leaders. "And I'm not blaming ShadowClan, either. I'm not blaming _any_ Clan. This was a cat -- one only. One that wanted to bring destruction to the lake."

⠀⠀The large white tom's muscles rippled under his pelt as he stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you insisting what I think you are?"

⠀⠀A look of worry came across Jackalstar's face. "Yes. I think... I think The Dark Forest has a spy here. A rat. Someone we all trust. A snake in the grass. A--"

⠀⠀"I get it," Shellstar grumbled, holding up his bushy black tail for her to quiet. His green eyes flashed with something Batchaser couldn't quite place, but it disappeared before he could figure it out. What was that? Fear? Guilt? Anger? Denial?

⠀⠀Jackalstar swished her tail, furrowing her brows. "I think I might have some idea of who the rat is."

⠀⠀Batchaser's blood went cold. Without another thought, the black tom turned tail and sprinted through the bushes. _They know about you. They know about the fake prophecy. You_ idiot _!_

⠀⠀Fear crept its way up his whole body as he aimlessly ran through the forest. He didn't know where he was going, but it didn't matter at this point. He was exposed. His stupid prophecy would only cause his death.

⠀⠀Then he heard it. Thrumming paws behind him. Terror caused his legs to move faster, and the tom yowled in pain when his paw was caught on the root of a tree sticking out of the ground. Batchaser tumbled over the terrain and smashed into the side of a tree, groaning in pain. However, his wounds immediately disappeared, and he regained his strength.

⠀⠀"Batchaser!" A furious hiss sounded above the tom and as he blinked open his green eyes, he made out the form of Jackalstar, the sun outlining her sides, shafting light onto the tree.

⠀⠀The black tom said nothing. Jackalstar unsheathed her claws, eyes burning with newfound anger. "I'm disappointed in you. Really. After our little trip I had the crazy notion that maybe you weren't as bad as you make yourself out to be, but clearly I was wrong!"

⠀⠀Batchaser recoiled, his heart nearly pumping out of his chest. He didn't respond; he only tried to keep himself calm.

⠀⠀The white she-cat's claws suddenly sheathed again and she shook her head. "Just stop eavesdropping, will you?"

⠀⠀"Jackalstar..!" Batchaser recognized the voice of Shellstar, who was just now appearing from the bushes, panting heavily, looking like he was going to keel over. "Did.. y.. ou... find... the cat...?"

⠀⠀The brown-patched she-cat nodded, ripping her gaze from Batchaser and examining the other former leader. "StarClan Shellstar, keep up, will you? You run as fast as a two-moon-old kit."

⠀⠀Shellstar didn't respond, only stood there for a few more silent moments until he gasped in the StarClan air. He padded forward slowly, his green eyes landing on Batchaser. "Who're you?" he asked, tail-tip flicking back and forth as he spoke. Jackalstar turned back to stare at the former ShadowClan warrior.

⠀⠀The black tom drew in a breath and staggered to his paws shakily, looking between the two. _So... they don't know of what I've done? She's only angry because I was listening to their argument?_

⠀⠀"His name is Batchaser," Jackalstar mewed. "And he's apparently mute."

⠀⠀"Really?" Shellstar inquired, tipping his head to the side. Jackalstar rolled her eyes and Batchaser shot the she-cat a glare.

⠀⠀"No, I'm not _mute_ ," he snapped, facing the black-striped tom.

⠀⠀"Why were you eavesdropping then, _Batchase_?" Shellstar asked, his voice somewhat laced with bitterness.

⠀⠀"First of all, it's Batchaser," the black tom growled, his pearly-white claws sinking into the ground. "Second, I could hear you two idiots from a mile away. Are you really all that surprised I decided to come listen?"

⠀⠀Shellstar's ear twitched and he slightly narrowed his eyes at Batchaser's response. "Does he always address Clan leaders this way?" the white tom asked Jackalstar, his claws curling. _He doesn't like to be disrespected._

⠀⠀" _Former_ Clan leaders," Batchaser corrected, holding his head high. "And yes, I'll talk to you however I wish. Especially if you're too much of a coward to announce how you feel about me."

⠀⠀Shellstar curled his lip and Jackalstar stepped in between the two cats, acting as the mediator this time; maybe she was picking up a few skills from Galewhisker. "Stop," she ordered, "this is no time for an argument." The amber-eyed she-cat faced Batchaser. "What did you hear?"

⠀⠀The black tom shrugged, licking his paw and drawing it over his ear. "Stuff."

⠀⠀"How about you tell us a little more than ' _stuff_ '," Shellstar snarled, all calmness swept away. Batchaser smirked, proud that he'd been able to anger the former leader so quickly.

⠀⠀"You two disrupted my peace with your stupid bickering and I came over to shut you up. Then I heard you throwing the blame at each other, and grew interested. Then you--" he pointed at Jackalstar, "--spoke about how The Dark Forest had a spy in StarClan. That's all I heard, besides your _very loud muttering_ ," Batchaser growled, staring at Shellstar, who was snarling curse words louder than to just himself.

⠀⠀Jackalstar flicked her tail. "I trust you'll hold this information to only yourself?"

⠀⠀Batchaser shrugged again. "Who knows? I might go and tell everyone, I might not. Just depends how I feel, really."

⠀⠀"You stupid little--" Shellstar began, leaping to his paws as he snarled insults and made his way toward Batchaser. Jackalstar, however, held the former leader back. She whipped around to glare at the black tom, unsheathing her claws.

⠀⠀"Don't test me, Batchaser," she spat, her voice laced with venom more deadly than an adder's. "If you tell anyone and I find out, I'll kill you. That's a promise."

⠀⠀The black tom acted calm and rolled his eyes, but inside he knew that was true. She had ThunderClan eyes everywhere and pretty much knew every cat. If she wanted him dead, she'd succeed in doing so.

⠀⠀Shellstar was silent as he turned away curtly, motioning for Jackalstar to follow. "We have matters to discuss," he murmured, scowling at Batchaser. "Without any eavesdroppers."

⠀⠀"Indeed we do," the white she-cat agreed, dipping her head. "Batchaser, leave."

⠀⠀Giving Jackalstar a dramatic bow, Batchaser snorted. "As you wish, _your Majesty_."

⠀⠀The she-cat rolled her eyes and said nothing, watching as the black tom turned and padded away.

⠀⠀But as he left the two former leaders, Batchaser's smirk turned into a frown. They knew about the prophecy, and probably only had to ask Paleheart who'd delivered it. Then he'd be exposed.

⠀⠀His thoughts sent Batchaser spiraling into a world of terror; if they found out -- no, _when_ \-- they found out about what he'd done, what would happen to him? He guessed Jackalstar would kill him herself, but wondered if that was even possible. StarClan cats could gain wounds, but they'd disappear in a matter of seconds. So how would she take his life if he was already dead? And if it was possible, where would Batchaser go next? Would he never wake up again, or would he be sent to another place?

⠀⠀Shaking his head, Batchaser decided to clear his thoughts by hunting. He spotted a flash of gray fur on the ground and crouched down low, stalking forward. He narrowed his blue eyes and leapt, landing squarely on top of the mouse.

⠀⠀Batchaser grabbed the small creature in his jaws and traveled back to the large oak tree, feeling at peace again. He set the mouse down and tore a morsel off, gulping it down quickly. His eyes drifted from his catch and set on the red flowers swaying above his head, attached to the branches of the tree.

⠀⠀It was beautiful, to say the least. Batchaser rolled onto his back and abandoned the prey, staring at the cloudless sky and the leaves that drifted from the tree.

⠀⠀ _If I'm going to be killed, then I should enjoy StarClan while I can. But what much left is there to relish?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so late – I haven't updated in like a month. My apologies, but writer's block is a living hell for authors.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I sure loved writing it. I love Jackalstar so much ahh
> 
> You should also tell me who your favorite character is! I'm very interested in knowing! :)
> 
> Lastly, please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path☄️


	7. New StarClanner

_Batchaser was bored. His_ head was rested on his paws, his blue eyes flitting to the movements of prey and animals in the forest. He sighed, flicking his thin tail back and forth.

⠀⠀Nothing had happened the past few days. No news about his fake prophecy or anything about destruction in ThunderClan. He flexed his claws, wishing he could see what was going on down there. Or wishing that he could squeeze the life out of Paleheart. Either one, really.

⠀⠀Lifting himself to his paws, Batchaser decided to take a walk. He outstretched his legs and yawned, eyes cracking shut. He let the sun soak into his black pelt and strode out of his usual clearing.

⠀⠀Maybe he'd come across Jackalstar today, or Galewhisker or Shellstar. Part of him really wanted to see Jackalstar, and another didn't.

⠀⠀ _StarClan, what is wrong with you? There's no way you want to see that idiot. All she does is snap at you._

⠀⠀But again, he sort of... liked that. Fire meeting his fire was something he'd never come across. Hawknose definitely hadn't been like that. No, she had been... cruel. There was no _fire_. Just _evil_.

⠀⠀Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, Batchaser pricked his ears to try and pick up any conversation. Nothing. It was like everyone had moved out of the forest. _Or Jackalstar learned to keep her confrontations elsewhere._

⠀⠀Thinking, the black tom wondered where he could visit. _Hmm. Maybe the Welcoming Grounds?_

⠀⠀The Welcoming Grounds were where new StarClan members arrived. They were greeted by their relatives or close friends, who would get called to come down when said cat died and escort them into the territory. Batchaser remembered being there. He also remembered having to guide himself into the meadows, since no one had come to welcome him.

⠀⠀Oh well.

*ೃ༄

 

⠀⠀The former ShadowClanner walked a little while longer, hoping to soon arrive at his destination. The forest had begun to clear out, opening to hills and meadows with trees dotting the area. White clouds drifted overhead, blue sky surrounding them as usual.

⠀⠀ _The weather never changes around here, does it? Pretty boring if you ask me._

⠀⠀Batchaser shrugged to himself and continued on, staring at his paws as he walked. He began to wonder if he should turn back, but a bright light distracted him. The black tom jerked his head up and watched in awe as a dazzling white beam stretched up through the clouds. Batchaser moved his paws forward and headed toward the light, wondering if that meant a cat was here.

⠀⠀He made it toward a rise in the ground and noticed a small kit on the top. Batchaser twitched an ear, looking around. Was no one coming to welcome this kit? And how had they died?

⠀⠀"Hey! K--" The former warrior cut himself short when he noticed the lithe shape of Jackalstar making her way up on the other side.

⠀⠀He watched with sharp blue eyes for a few moments longer before deciding he should return back. He was exhausted, and it felt as if his legs were going to collapse under him. "Well, guess that's sorted out," he muttered to himself as Jackalstar bent down to speak to the kitten.

⠀⠀Before he turned around, the former leader spotted him and looked as if she huffed in exasperation. Batchaser inwardly snickered and whipped around, padding away from the rise.

⠀⠀"Hey!" the brown-and-white she-cat called out, running after him. The black tom stopped and looked at her inquisitively. "Look, I need you here. Just help me escort this apprentice to the Gathering Grounds. He doesn't have anyone else here for him. Luckily I was passing by."

⠀⠀Batchaser flicked an ear and looked up at the "apprentice", who met his gaze. _I remember that being me. I mean, I wasn't a kit, but I know what it felt like._

⠀⠀Then he stopped himself. _But I can't get attached. Just say no._

⠀⠀"Sorry," he responded. "Can't do it. I've gotta return home."

⠀⠀Jackalstar stared back at him. "Please?"

⠀⠀Batchaser was quiet, huffing silently. "That's an apprentice?"

⠀⠀The former ThunderClan leader nodded and turned tail, beckoning for him to follow. "Come on. Greet him."

⠀⠀He ducked his head and walked after the she-cat, making it to the top where the k--apprentice was. Seriously, this cat was too small to be an apprentice. _Runt, maybe._

⠀⠀Batchaser held his breath and looked down at him. He was a blue-gray tom with vibrant copper eyes flicked with green. "H-Hello." The black tom nearly punched himself for stuttering. "I'm Batchaser. This is Jackalstar." He nodded to the former leader. "Who are you?"

⠀⠀The apprentice bounced on his paws, eyes shining with excitement. "I'm Rushing...paw! I came from RiverClan."

⠀⠀ _Figures. Sleek fur, lithe frame._

⠀⠀"Why'd you die so early on?" Batchaser asked. Jackalstar shot him a glare. _Whoops_.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw looked crestfallen for a few seconds before lifting his head. "I... I don't know." A pang hit the black tom's heart. Such a young age to die. He couldn't imagine losing a son. Then again, he wouldn't have a son; he was terrible at being any kind of father. He was hot-tempered and had no filter.

⠀⠀"It's okay," Jackalstar purred. "But now you're here, with us... welcome to StarClan, Rushingpaw."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been two months, whoops. Anyway, you've now been introduced to a new character! Little Rushingpaw (who is from A Warrior's Life: Bushtail and Whisperflight)! I know he hasn't said much, but I already love him haha.
> 
> So, there's chapter 6! Chapter 7 will be Batchaser and Jackalstar escorting Rushingpaw to the Gathering Grounds, and he'll be learning some news about his fake prophecy and what's been going on down in the Clans.
> 
> Stay tuned! I'm gonna try and update before two months!
> 
> Please vote and comment, and may StarClan light your path✨


	8. The Clans Below

_Annoyed. That was the_ only word that described Batchaser at the moment. Rushingpaw couldn't shut off his rambling, and Jackalstar was trying to make conversation with the black tom. _Just because I helped doesn't mean I want to talk._

⠀⠀Flexing his claws, Batchaser saw the rolling hills coming up. They'd be arriving at the Gatherings Grounds soon -- thank StarClan. He wasn't sure how much more of this apprentice he could take.

⠀⠀"Batchaser."

⠀⠀Honestly, all the tom could think about was returning to the forest and being alone. Yes, he grew lonely sometimes, but that was the only place he could really "recharge" his energy, if that made any sense at all. Talking was just so tiring.

⠀⠀"Batchaser!"

⠀⠀The former warrior snapped his head to Jackalstar, irritation clear in his blue eyes. "What?" he snapped.

⠀⠀The white-and-brown she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Rushingpaw was just asking you a question. Are you deaf _and_ mute?"

⠀⠀"No." Batchaser grumbled something under his breath and craned his muzzle down to look at the apprentice.

⠀⠀"What Clan were you a part of?" he inquired.

⠀⠀"ShadowClan."

⠀⠀"Oh, cool!! I was in RiverClan."

⠀⠀"I know."

⠀⠀"Who was your leader? Mine was Flamestar."

⠀⠀"Granitestar."

⠀⠀"Why are _you_ dead?"

⠀⠀Batchaser froze. He glared at the blue-gray tom and lashed his tail back and forth a few times. "I don't know. Does anyone know?" Jackalstar snorted and the black tom flexed his claws. "Probably some stupid ThunderClanner." _Not probably. It was. But I can't admit that I know yet._

⠀⠀Rushingpaw shrugged. "Yeah, ThunderClan was okay I guess. I didn't know them, though. What were they like? I didn't know... uh... ShadowClan, either."

⠀⠀"Jackalstar?" Batchaser addressed, looking up at the former leader. "Maybe you should answer Rushingpaw's very important questions. After all, you're from ThunderClan."

⠀⠀The apprentice gasped. "Really? I didn't know that! I guessed you were both ShadowClan."

⠀⠀"Oh come on, I'm not some frog-eating donkey," the she-cat said all-too-highly, raising her head and puffing out her chest. "I'm from the best Clan around the lake."

⠀⠀Batchaser gave her an exaggerated shocked expression. "What did you call me? _A frog-eating donkey_? _Oh_! How _dare_ you!"

⠀⠀Jackalstar snickered. "Mm. You are. And RiverClan has a bunch of slimy fish-eaters. Gross."

⠀⠀"They aren't gross!" Rushingpaw protested. "They're delicious! You're just jealous you can't swim!"

⠀⠀Batchaser chuckled. He listened to the two argue back and forth until they padded up another rise. The apprentice's words drifted off as he took in the sight of rolling hills, rivers, forests, and cats. They'd officially made it back to the Gathering Grounds.

⠀⠀"Wow." The small gray tom took in a breath and darted off toward the river, yelling, "Thanks for the trip!" to Batchaser and Jackalstar. The two older cats exchanged a glance before walking after him.

⠀⠀The black tom stopped in his tracks when he heard yelling. He vaguely made out Jackalstar's name. Batchaser turned to the she-cat and cocked a brow. She opened her jaws to question what he was doing but too heard the screaming.

⠀⠀"Oh." The white she-cat flicked her tail. "That's Shellstar. Go watch Rushingpaw, will you?" Jackalstar turned and trotted off, the former ShadowClanner watching her with narrowed blue eyes.

⠀⠀"Hmm." Batchaser twisted his head around to flash a glance toward the apprentice, then sprinted off after the former leader. He was going to find out what was going on. After all, it could have something to do with his fake prophecy to Paleheart.

⠀⠀His paws tore up grass as he ran into another forest similar to the one he usually stayed in. He followed Jackalstar's scent, gasping in surprise when he ran right into her. She hissed and wheeled around, glaring daggers at him. "StarClan! I knew you'd follow me. What do you want?"

⠀⠀"I want to know what's going on!" he bit back. Jackalstar curled her lips into a snarl. "Look, you might as well let me come along and hear. I know all about your trips to the Clans and your secret meetings with friends. Besides, I'll spy on you if you don't let me."

⠀⠀The she-cat didn't respond for a few more seconds. Finally, she let out a forced sigh. "Fine. Follow me."

⠀⠀Batchaser smirked, padding after Jackalstar. He felt particularly proud of himself for being able to convince her so easily. Maybe he was improving.

⠀⠀"JACKALSTAR!"

⠀⠀"I'M _COMING_!" the she-cat yowled back, rolling her eyes. "He's so impatient. He should just come to me next time."

⠀⠀They emerged into a clearing, trees surrounding the two cats. Batchaser noticed Shellstar's white pelt hidden away in the bushes, black stripes hardly visible.

⠀⠀"You can come out now," Jackalstar said.

⠀⠀"Ugh. He's here?" Shellstar continued to speak as he padded out of the foliage. He eyed Batchaser suspiciously before turning to the former ThunderClanner.

⠀⠀"So? What's up?" The black tom sat down and licked his paw, drawing it over his ear to show he was comfortable.

⠀⠀"I don't think he should be here," the other former leader growled.

⠀⠀"Well, he's not leaving and he knows enough, so we might as well just say it in front of him," Jackalstar snapped back. "Now, I'm tired of waiting! What's going on?"

⠀⠀Batchaser mused. _She's sure a hypocrite, isn't she?_

⠀⠀"Ugh." Shellstar lashed his tail. "Okay. Just... our problem is--"

⠀⠀"What's our problem?" Batchaser cut in. The white tom snarled.

⠀⠀"We had a fake prophecy sent to a living cat. I think you know that already." The black tom forced himself not to tense up. _Oh, no_. "And now the Clans are in an all-out war; ThunderClan has been caught in the middle of it. Everyone is blaming them and now it's ShadowClan, WindClan and RiverClan against them. They've already been driven out of the territory."

⠀⠀"This is insane!" Jackalstar hissed, her eyes blazing. "Someone needs to go down there and knock some sense into them! Why hasn't this happened? Clearly they aren't thinking straight and need some guidance!"

⠀⠀The white tom was quiet. "That's actually why.. I called you here. Jackalstar, we have no way to speak to the Clans. The Star-filled Pool has been shut off."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woahh an update?? It's only been 5 days?? How is this possible?? This is a very rare Paint sighting.
> 
> Anyway, I enjoyed writing this! It wasn't great—I'm aware—but I'm excited to get this plot moving forward! I also felt I had no other way to rewrite this chapter, so I kept it how it was.
> 
> So, what did you think? Who's your favorite character so far?
> 
> Next time, we have an uproar in StarClan that creates even more destruction. Batchaser also becomes a little rebellious and this causes tension between Jackalstar, Shellstar and himself. Stay tuned!
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	9. Storm Clouds

_Batchaser could tell something_ was wrong from the minute he awoke. Dark clouds rolled into the sky, lightning flashing between the cracks, no light filtering through to StarClan. The usual soft breeze turned into a hard, blowing wind, taking the leaves off of trees. The rivers were crashing with waves, the grass in the meadows swirling like a hurricane.

⠀⠀Chaos.

⠀⠀The black tom had never seen StarClan like this; every day was full of sunshine and calmness, happy rainbows and such. But today was different. Batchaser knew that something was going to happen, and he was growing quite anxious about it.

⠀⠀His heart pounded in his chest as he staggered to his paws. The tom made his way toward the Gathering Grounds, blue eyes flickering from side to side to spot any other cats. It seemed to just be him.

⠀⠀Any blue sky left was covered. Batchaser felt as if he were in the Dark Forest; maybe he was. Maybe his dreams of StarClan were all in his mind. But he knew better than that. This was real. This was happening. _They must know. Everyone knows what you did..._

⠀⠀When he exited the tree line and scanned the terrain, his eyes widened at the sight before him. Hundreds of cats were crammed together in the meadow, yowling and bickering echoing off of them. He angled his ears forward, furrowing his brows as he picked his way through the tall grass. _What are they arguing about?_

 _⠀_ ⠀He eventually made it to the large group, squirming and squeezing through the bodies packed together. Every cat he saw had their lips curled into a sneer, eyes blazing with anger as they glared and snapped at the cats around them. Batchaser wondered if everyone was somehow rubbing off on him. He didn't know StarClan cats to be cruel and angry; he knew them to usually be collected and mature. But this? This was madness.

⠀⠀The tom, lost in thought, accidentally ran right into a fully white she-cat. She rounded on Batchaser, a hiss making its way out of her jaws. "Hey! Watch where you're going, idiot," she spat.

⠀⠀The former ShadowClanner narrowed his eyes. A hiss wrenched from his throat as his claws dug into the ground below him, tail lashing like an angry adder. "How about you don't order me around?" he snapped back. "Don't act so high and mighty."

⠀⠀"Hah! Like you'd know anything. What are you even doing here?" she snorted. "I thought all you did was doze around in the forest."

⠀⠀"I don't!" he growled, baring his teeth.

⠀⠀"Yeah you do!" she responded mockingly.

⠀⠀Before Batchaser had time to reply, a familiar voice jerked him out of his conversation. "Batchaser! What are you doing here?"

⠀⠀He quickly spotted Jackalstar, who was running toward him, worry evident in the way she moved. Annoyance sparked in his blue eyes. "Why is everyone asking me that?"

⠀⠀She shook her head. "Follow me." Batchaser flashed a cheeky grin at the white she-cat and quickly followed his friend. Friend? Friend.

⠀⠀"Sooo, what's going on?" the black tom asked as they made their way from the swarm of StarClanners, heading toward another familiar white cat - Shellstar.

⠀⠀"We'll explain when we get over here.." she murmured, ears flicking back.

⠀⠀"Hey!!! Wait!! Batchaser! Jackalstar!"

⠀⠀The two snapped their heads to the side in unison, watching as a small gray tom stumbled over to them. His copper eyes held excitement and interest, but also a hint of worry.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw.

⠀⠀"What do you want?" Batchaser snapped, the words immediately tumbling out of his mouth. Jackalstar shoved the black tom away and stared down at the apprentice, cocking a brow.

⠀⠀"Uh, I, I, I wanted to know what's going on!" he responded, slightly ducking his head. "I-I mean, you were the ones that introduced me to StarClan... I.... figured you could tell me..!"

⠀⠀"It's none of your business, kit," Batchaser grumbled.

⠀⠀"I'm... not a kit, just small," Rushingpaw countered quietly.

⠀⠀Jackalstar exchanged a glance with the former warrior and sighed heavily. "Fine. I suppose you'll know soon, anyway."

⠀⠀The gray tom perked up and smiled widely. "Yay!! Thank you so much! Thank you!" Batchaser rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible as he turned and headed toward Shellstar.

⠀⠀The large white tom was eyeing the three suspiciously. "Jackalstar, why do you always bring Batchase? And what is a kit doing here?"

⠀⠀"It's Batchaser," the she-cat replied, "and he's not a kit. Rushingpaw is an apprentice."

⠀⠀" _Apprentice_?" Shellstar burst out into laughter. "Wow, that's funny... you a runt, then?"

⠀⠀The small gray tom narrowed his eyes and said nothing. Batchaser growled lowly. "Leave him alone, will you? What are we doing here? What's going on with StarClan?"

⠀⠀"That's exactly--"

⠀⠀"Hey! I've been looking for you... oh." Another voice caused Batchaser to jerk his head back, eyes landing on a gray tom with black splotches. It was Galewhisker.

⠀⠀"Galewhisker?" Jackalstar inquired, tilting her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

⠀⠀"I know what's going on. I didn't assist you just to deliver a failed omen; I'm here to help. Fill me in," the green-eyed tom said, his tail flicking from side to side. He observed the cats around him, noticing Rushingpaw.

⠀⠀"Oh.. an apprentice." Rushingpaw smiled. "And.... Shellstar. I see. Is this your new group, Jackalstar?"

⠀⠀Everyone was quiet. Batchaser felt confusion as he looked toward the former leader. 

⠀⠀The she-cat seemed to crumble. "Galewhisker..."

⠀⠀The gray-and-black tom's eyes widened. "You haven't told them?!"

⠀⠀"I... no! I didn't want to yet! I wanted them to trust me!" she responded in a small wail.

⠀⠀The wise tom shook his head and took a step back. "Tell them, then." Jackalstar was quiet. "Or I will."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's ears perked, Batchaser's claws unsheathing. No emotion crossed Shellstar's face.

⠀⠀The white she-cat turned to the group, head drooping. "I gathered you all because... well, because I wanted to secretly reincarnate all of you."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw gasped. Batchaser's eyes lit up in anger, searing anger ripping through his whole body. She wanted to _secretly reincarnate_ him? Shellstar looked quite surprised, but only betrayed an ear flick as he carefully watched the former ThunderClanner.

⠀⠀"I found a way to do it. When the Star-lit Pool is closed, it... it opens into a portal. Anyone that goes through will be reincarnated into one of the four original Clans. I needed four of you to do it. Batchaser, Rushingpaw, Shellstar, and Galewhisker.." Jackalstar said.

⠀⠀The black tom could hardly believe he was hearing this. "And how did you think you'd be able to do it?" he hissed. "I wouldn't just jump into a portal to return to the Clans. I _like_ it up here."

⠀⠀"I was going to tell you that you needed to visit a cat's dream... that you would be able to save the Clans by doing it." He flexed his claws. "You'd think you'd be a hero... then you would jump in and be reincarnated."

⠀⠀"I don't care about being a hero!" Batchaser spat angrily. "I trusted you! But now, hearing this? I can't believe you'd ever even _think_ of doing that to us!"

⠀⠀"I mean... I'd go if I could be leader again," Shellstar calmly spoke.

⠀⠀"Can I go back to RiverClan??" Rushingpaw asked excitedly.

⠀⠀"No!" Batchaser yowled. "We can't go back down! If the Clans are destroyed, well, then it's their fault!" His heart race sped up. "We can't go! I won't!"

⠀⠀"You must," Galewhisker said softly.

⠀⠀" _No_!"

⠀⠀"It's not your choice," Jackalstar responded, narrowing her eyes. "You're going."

⠀⠀"You can't just force me to be reincarnated! I'm not going back down! You can't make me!" Batchaser fluffed up his fur and backed away, baring his teeth at anyone that got close to him.

⠀⠀"It's not up to you," Jackalstar growled. "StarClan has demanded it. I'm sorry, Batchaser; your time in the sky is no more. You will be returning to the lake, whether you like it or not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo a new update! I started writing this chapter last night and just finished,, I think it's alright. I improvised for about 98% of it so that's probably another reason I never complete any of my stories.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Maybe tell me who your favorite/least favorite character is in the comments? And tell me what you think about Jackalstar's plan to reincarnate Batchaser and the others down to the Clans?
> 
> Anyway, please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	10. Confession Time

_Batchaser couldn't believe he was_ hearing this. Jackalstar, trying to order him to be reincarnated into the four original Clans? It was madness! He would never do it!

⠀⠀A part of the black tom's heart began to crumble. He'd finally, _finally_ made himself trust someone; he truly thought he'd be able to be friends with Jackalstar. But now, from what she was saying? She had completely betrayed him.

⠀⠀"Why can't you go?" the she-cat growled, lips curling into a snarl. "You'll save the Clans! You'll be back in the real world! Isn't that what you want?"

⠀⠀ _Yes. Yes, I want to go back so badly! But... I can't. I can't face Paleheart. What if I'm reincarnated back into ThunderClan? Surely he'll know it's me!_

⠀⠀He was quiet.

⠀⠀"Look, Jackalstar, I'll go," Shellstar sighed.

⠀⠀"And I will too!" Rushingpaw piped up.

⠀⠀"You know I will, Jackalstar," Galewhisker murmured, dipping his head to the former leader.

⠀⠀All eyes turned to Batchaser. The tom's claws scored into the ground, his tail lashing back and forth. How could they do this to him?

⠀⠀"I-I can't," the former ShadowClanner whispered, voice cracking.

⠀⠀"Why?" Jackalstar asked.

⠀⠀ _You have to tell them. You must... it's the only way they'll understand._

⠀⠀"Look..." The black tom screwed his eyes shut. "I don't know how to tell you this, okay? I did something bad! Really bad!"

⠀⠀Jackalstar's hackles rose. Shellstar eyed the tom suspiciously. "What did you do, Batchaser?"

⠀⠀For once, he didn't know if he could say it. He didn't want to tell the truth. All Batchaser wanted was for all of this to go away.

⠀⠀Finally, however, the black tom opened his eyes. He scanned over the four other cats, feeling like his legs might crumple underneath him. "I-I did it," he whispered.

⠀⠀Galewhisker twitched an ear. "Did what?"

⠀⠀"I.." Batchaser gulped. "I-I sent a fake prophecy.."

⠀⠀The others were silent. His heart thrummed in his chest, blood roaring in his ears. It was like the world stopped–all except for him.

⠀⠀"You... you _what_?" Jackalstar spat, her eyes blazing. Her claws unsheathed, her tail lashing back and forth like an angry snake ready to strike its prey.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw looked between the former leader and warrior with confusion. "A fake prophecy?" he echoed, tipping his head to the side. "I don't remember any fake prophecy..."

⠀⠀Galewhisker didn't look at the black tom. Shellstar, however, looked... well, _pissed_. That was still an understatement, though.

⠀⠀"Why don't you explain a little more?" Jackalstar growled, taking a few steps toward Batchaser. "We're all so eager to hear how you've destroyed the world you left behind."

⠀⠀Batchaser gulped. His ears flicked back, flat on his head. He was ashamed; so, so very ashamed of what he'd done. But... how was it his fault, really? A sudden anger flared through his body and he met Jackalstar's defiant gaze.

⠀⠀"I remembered who killed me," he snarled.

⠀⠀Shellstar narrowed his eyes. "That's impossible. No one remembers how they died. I'm sure you weren't even killed--"

⠀⠀"I _was_ ," Batchaser cut in. "I remember it so vividly. There was a battle between ShadowClan and ThunderClan. Paleheart killed me."

⠀⠀Jackalstar was quiet.

⠀⠀"Paleheart was..." Galewhisker trailed off, eyes slightly widening. "So... you're the one who... who..."

⠀⠀"I'd know if you told me!" he growled.

⠀⠀Jackalstar lifted her head higher. "Paleheart killed his own Clan's deputy, and took several lives out of his leader. He delivered the prophecy you gave him before Applestar killed him." There was a pause, as if the she-cat couldn't bear to tell the rest of the story.

⠀⠀"Then ThunderClan decided to share the prophecy at the next gathering," Galewhisker began, eyeing Jackalstar. "They thought that if they told the others what was going on, they wouldn't be as... despised. However, it didn't work. The bordering Clans began to attack ThunderClan and declared war on them. Eventually, RiverClan joined in."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw gasped. "RiverClan?"

⠀⠀Galewhisker flicked an ear. "Yes. So, WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan all drove ThunderClan out of their territory. They've been fighting for land and prey since. It's _chaos_ down there."

⠀⠀Shellstar suddenly shouldered his way forward, betraying no emotion. However, his voice showed it all. " _You're_ the reason the Clans are in a war. _You're_ the reason that the Clans will be destroyed! You've murdered kits! Apprentices! Warriors that only wanted to fight for a cause!" He stuck his muzzle in Batchaser's face. " _You ruined everything_!"

⠀⠀Suddenly, the larger white tom sunk his teeth into the former ShadowClanners scruff and began to drag him toward the huge group of cats. Batchaser scrabbled at the ground and tried to fight his way off, but Shellstar was much stronger. Rushingpaw and Galewhisker watched with wide eyes. Jackalstar slowly followed, her head dangling.

⠀⠀Shellstar pushed his way through the crowd of StarClanners, earning many angry hisses until they realized what was going on. They watched in curiosity and interest; Batchaser couldn't blame them. However, he didn't want to be the center of attention.

⠀⠀He didn't know what Shellstar was going to do. Humiliate him? Maybe. Fight him? Most likely. Kill him?

⠀⠀Batchaser didn't want to answer that. He didn't know what would happen if he died in StarClan; would he be forgotten, a mist in a dark world full of menacing creatures? Or would he just... be gone? Maybe be reincarnated? He honestly didn't know. He didn't _want_ to know.

⠀⠀The felines around made a circle, allowing Galewhisker and Jackalstar in. Rushingpaw was shoved to the back, the small tom trying to see what was going on.

⠀⠀"Get back, runt," a menacing-looking tom hissed at Rushingpaw. "You shouldn't even be here." The tiny gray tom narrowed his eyes, attempting to look back through the mass of gathered cats.

⠀⠀In the middle, Shellstar slammed Batchaser to the ground, holding a firm paw on his shoulder. The black tom sent a glare at the former leader, tail flicking back and forth angrily.

⠀⠀Suddenly, Shellstar let him go. Batchaser scrambled to his paws and took a few steps back, watching the white tom's every move. Jackalstar and Galewhisker did the same. Rushingpaw still couldn't see.

⠀⠀"Hello everyone!" Shellstar boomed, whirling around to face every cat. "Today, I've invited a special guest into the circle!" Murmurs rippled around the group.

⠀⠀ _The circle?_

⠀⠀"And, well, I think most of you know what that means." Cats exchanged glances. Shellstar cocked a brow. "No? Well, let me explain! It simply means that a cat is going to be transported to The Forgotten Eternity!"

⠀⠀Everyone was quiet.

⠀⠀ _The Forgotten Eternity? He must be making this up. I've never heard such a thing._

⠀⠀"And we all know how cats get to the Forgotten Eternity." Shellstar turned to stare at Batchaser. "Why, let me answer that one. It's easy."

⠀⠀The black tom's fur began to spike up at the words next said.

⠀⠀"All I have to do is kill them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayeee it's a cliffhanger again. I love cliffhangers so,, that's why there's one.
> 
> Lots of stuff is about to happen! Get ready for an epic fight next chapter... Batchaser won't be letting Shellstar kill him in one swipe. This'll be a challenge.
> 
> Anyway, please tell me your thoughts on Shellstar and what's going on! I'm excited to hear, haha. Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	11. Killer Claws

_The fur on his back_ began to spike up when Batchaser realized what Shellstar was saying. A fight to the death—with one of the strongest WindClan leaders of all time.

⠀⠀ _If I was killed by Paleheart, how can I defeat Shellstar?_

⠀⠀"Well, why do you need to fight him?" a cat in the crowd spoke up.

⠀⠀Shellstar looked surprised. "Oh! I forgot to explain! Batchaser here was the one that sent the fake prophecy! _That's_ why the Clans are being destroyed!" He let out a loud, sarcastic purr.

⠀⠀Immediately, angry yowls rose up from the group. Cats began to make their way toward Batchaser–most likely to try and kill him–but Shellstar stopped them. "Now, don't be unfair!" The other cats growled but stepped back at the former WindClanner's words, glaring at the black tom. Batchaser didn't move.

⠀⠀"So..." Shellstar met the eyes of every cat standing around him. "Since you all know how great of a fighter I am, we should take a vote. Do I kill him, or... do one of you?" Every feline was quiet. "If you vote for yourself, then you have to make sure to kill him now. If not, he'll be in StarClan, and, well, we don't want that, do we?"

⠀⠀Batchaser snorted. "Wounds in StarClan disappear, idiot."

⠀⠀Shellstar rolled his eyes. "You're the idiot, Batchase. We're standing in the very place it's actually allowed to hurt another cat!"

⠀⠀The black tom twitched an ear as he looked around, noticing the rise in the ground. It did make sense...

⠀⠀"So, fine. Since no one seems to be voting for themselves, it's you against me?" Batchaser inquired, not bothering to correct Shellstar on his name.

⠀⠀The white tom looked around. "So, I'll kill him, then?"

⠀⠀A lump formed in the former ShadowClanner's throat. He would have to fight Shellstar– to the death. Would he really be able to do that? And everyone else was watching...

⠀⠀The group of cats slowly nodded. Galewhisker and Jackalstar stood and watched. Batchaser instantly grew angry. _They're not going to do anything, are they?_ His claws slid out, digging into the ground. This was something he would have to face alone.

⠀⠀Shellstar huffed. "Good." He suddenly threw himself toward Batchaser, bowling him over. The black tom was shocked for a few seconds until he managed to realize what was going on, snapping his jaws around Shellstar's shoulder and twisting the older tom off of his body. Shellstar kicked up dust but bounced back on his paws; Batchaser did the same.

⠀⠀Shellstar again leaped for him, but Batchaser was quicker. He rolled out of the way and crashed into the former WindClanner's side, tearing his claws through fur. Shellstar hissed and smashed the black tom in the head with a loose paw, causing Batchaser to fly back from the impact.

⠀⠀The former warrior gritted his teeth and slammed his body upwards when Shellstar tried to gain control of the battle. He knocked the white tom away, swerving around and sinking his teeth into the WindClanner's tail. He hissed, twisting in circles until Batchaser had to let go.

⠀⠀The two toms faced each other, walking in slow circles in the middle of the group of cats. The air was tense; everything and everyone was quiet. It was if all of StarClan was holding their breath, waiting to see what the next move between the two rivals would be.

⠀⠀"Come on, now," Shellstar mocked. "Don't be a coward--"

⠀⠀Before he could even finish his sentence, Batchaser was racing toward the tom. This time, Shellstar faced the black warrior head-on. The two flung on to each other, Shellstar's thorn-sharp claws digging into his back. The black tom ignored the pain and tried to force the other cat to the ground, but, Shellstar was already two steps ahead of Batchaser.

⠀⠀The black-striped leader pressed his paw down on Batchaser's shoulder, forcing him to the ground. The black tom reared back but Shellstar wrapped his jaws around his neck, a snarl wrenching from his throat. Batchaser yowled in pain and had a flashback of Paleheart; the stupid tom, slicing open his throat and letting the blood flow out.

⠀⠀ _I won't let that happen again_ , Batchaser told himself. Determination surged through his body, causing the tom to throw Shellstar off with such force the leader didn't stand for a long time. Batchaser was back on him, teeth enclosed around his throat. Shellstar gasped in pain, blood welling from his wounds.

⠀⠀However, Batchaser didn't crush his throat.

⠀⠀Instead, he narrowed his eyes. "Do you give up?" he snarled through a mouthful of Shellstar's fur. When there was no response, Batchaser bit down harder. " _Do you give up_?" he spat.

⠀⠀"Y-Yes." Shellstar flopped to the ground, wheezing heavily. Jackalstar's eyes widened, Galewhisker looking unemotional as usual.

⠀⠀Batchaser looked around the cats, bowing his head. "Look-- I-- I know what I did was wrong. I know I sent a fake prophecy, but... but I remember who killed me."

⠀⠀Gasps came from the group. "What? But that's impossible!" cats spoke up.

⠀⠀Batchaser shook his head. "It's not. And he killed me so... mercilessly. I never wanted to destroy the Clans. I just... wanted for him to suffer through what I did."

⠀⠀Cats began to open their mouths to respond until they stared in shock at something behind Batchaser. The black tom's ears lifted and he whipped around, yowling in shock when Shellstar slammed him into the ground. The white tom began to smash a rock to the warrior's head. "This will never be over!" he growled. "You ruined the Clans! You deserve to die!"

⠀⠀Batchaser couldn't fight back. The rock rattled his head. It felt as if everything in his head was spilling out. Black spots danced over his vision, close to covering them. He couldn't even speak.

⠀⠀"Shellstar! You gave up!" Jackalstar exclaimed, her voice growing louder as she ran over to the two.

⠀⠀The white tom turned and chunked the rock at Jackalstar. She gasped and ducked, barely missing. Cats in the group leapt out of the way. Shellstar whirled back to Batchaser and slammed his head into the ground repeatedly.

⠀⠀Blood splattered on the ground. Shellstar's paws were covered in the crimson-red liquid, his eyes looking dark, unwelcoming and cold; something Batchaser had never seen in the usually calm and almost stupid tom.

⠀⠀It looked like everyone hid something behind a mask.

⠀⠀Batchaser wheezed heavily, trying to breathe. His head dropped, his jaws quivering. The tom coughed up clots of blood and curled in a ball, trying to ease the pain. Shellstar watched with a smirk.

⠀⠀The last thing Batchaser saw that day was a dark, cloudy sky above his head, the storm growing even heavier as his life slipped away from. Then, everything turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah!! Two updates in two days? Amazing!
> 
> Anyway, guess that was a surprise to see Shellstar like that, huh? He's hiding more than you think...
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter! Batchaser wakes up in a strange place and has to figure out where he is and what to do.
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	12. The Forgotten Eternity

_Batchaser awoke with a start_. His blue eyes snapped open, his fur fluffing out as he jumped to his paws. The black tom gasped in agony, crumpling to the ground when pain struck him in his head like lightning bolts. He gritted his teeth as he placed his paw on his forehead, flinching from the thrumming headache. He noticed smeared blood all over his body, wincing as he examined his other side.

⠀⠀ _I still have wounds from my fight with Shellstar._..

⠀⠀Then, it struck him. He was alive! He smiled widely but quickly returned back to his normal facade, narrowing his blue eyes. _But... I died. I remember it. So where am I?_

⠀⠀But what if he hadn't died and was still in StarClan? Batchaser would honestly be ecstatic; he truly didn't want to disappear forever. _Unless I've been reincarnated?_

⠀⠀He shook his head. _No, I would be a kit... and I wouldn't have my wounds._

⠀⠀So, if he hadn't been reincarnated then he had to still be in StarClan. _But who saved me?_

⠀⠀Batchaser just began to notice the looming forest trees around him. He furrowed his brows and stood up slowly, forcing the pain down as much as he possibly could. His eyes flickered from side to side as he made his way through a winding dirt path, hoping it lead somewhere.

⠀⠀ _Maybe it was Jackalstar_ , he thought. _She did try and help me right before Shellstar... smashed my head in with a rock and then slammed my head into the ground several times._ A growl wrenched from his throat, but he forced himself to think of something else.

⠀⠀For some reason, this place didn't seem like StarClan. It gave him an uneasy feeling, like a stone was lodged in his stomach, pulling him to the ground below. His ears flicked back in discomfort. Batchaser raised his gaze to the sky but could hardly make out anything past the towering trees. He did, however, see specks of gray. That was odd... StarClan had been a much darker gray, like a storm was coming. This was simply... clouds.

⠀⠀"Hello?" Batchaser couldn't stop the stupid question from leaving his jaws. He just wanted to be found, no matter how embarrassing it was, and someone had to be around to give him a helping paw. Right?

⠀⠀After a long moment of silence the black tom came to the conclusion that no one was near, and even if they were they certainly wouldn't be helping him. A shiver crept down his spine. What if he was in the Dark Forest? Was that even possible?

⠀⠀Swallowing back the lump in his throat, Batchaser forced himself to stand back to his paws. His muscles ached, his limbs feeling like they were about to snap in half. The black tom gritted his teeth and held back a screech of pain, tears watering in the sides of his eyes. But he realized he couldn't act like a little kit and stopped himself from showing any more signs of anguish.

⠀⠀The former ShadowClanner managed to make it to his paws, black spots edging his vision. He felt like he was going to faint, honestly. Batchaser ducked his head and screwed his eyes shut, taking in deep breaths to try and calm himself down. He could do this. He could do this. _He could do this._

⠀⠀"Just w-walk forward, you lazy lump," he grumbled to himself, blue eyes narrowing as he took a shaky step forward. Pain rocketed through his body and he almost fell back down, but luckily was balanced enough on his paws to where that didn't happen. Batchaser moved his other paws, suddenly wishing he was actually dead instead of having to endure this pain. Wouldn't that be nice.

⠀⠀The former warrior followed a dirt trail in the forest, tail whipping behind him as he walked. Batchaser was slowly gaining speed, and when he told himself, _The pain isn't real, it's all in your head_ , it actually seemed to help. The trees eventually began to clear out to reveal a moor much like the one in StarClan. However, dead trees and bushes were clumped in several parts of the flat land, flowers dipping downward as the life was taken from them. Batchaser emerged from the foliage, taking in the scenery with more care. Dead grass, dead plants, dead trees... he looked up to the sky and almost staggered back in shock, eyes widening to the size of full moons.

⠀⠀Sheets of gray clouds covered the blue above, darkening the ground with every layer it added on. A shape was behind the clouds, and when it finally emerged, its colors were revealed: a blood-red sun hung in sky.

⠀⠀ _A BLOOD-RED SUN IS IN THE SKY. WHAT IN STA-- WHAT IS GOING ON?_

⠀⠀Batchaser felt like throwing up. He pushed himself to look away, his lip curling as tears once again welled in his eyes. For once in his life, Batchaser was scared. He was lost. He didn't know what to do... he felt more alone than he ever had before, even after Lynxbite died. At least then he'd had ShadowClan to fight for; now, did he even have _anything_?

⠀⠀ _You are so stupid and so horrible and just complete dung brain! No wonder I'm here I completely deserve this torture for what I've done I'm so sorry mother, father, brother, Lynxbite, my—_

⠀⠀A scream suddenly wrenched from Batchaser's throat as a heavy body was thrown against him. His body felt like it had been stung by hundreds of wasps and he writhed in agony, jaws cracking open as another pained yowl filled the air. He tried to curl into a ball but the cat above clearly wasn't going to let him. It was some sort of cream feline, discolored and cold eyes staring into his soul. Batchaser began to cry. _Kill me! Kill me! Kill me!_

⠀⠀"Hm, and I thought I was pathetic." The cat above him ticked its claws, curling its lip in disgust. "Just wait, you stupid maggot. You're _really_ going to want to be dead after what I do to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah yeah yeah, I know it's been two months and I'm really sorry about that. I've been working on some other stories and roleplays and it's been hard to keep track of my more inactive books, but I finally updated! It's nice to get back into writing Batchaser. He's so interesting to me and I love him <3
> 
> Anywho, again, sorry for the super late update guys! Hope you can forgive me haha. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	13. The Confusing Calico

_Batchaser's heart pumped heavily in_ his chest as he was held down by the other feline. The tears were fuzzy in his vision but he forced himself to calm down. He examined the cat above him, eyes narrowing a bit. It was a calico she-cat, one brown eye on her left side and one blue eye on her right. They were unmistakably pained, chips of ice embedded inside which made it appear as if a snowflake was falling into the depths of her iris. A huge scar ran from her chin, through her lip, and above her eye, ripping through her left ear as it crossed over her whole face. Her claws were long and stone-looking, and her teeth poked out of her jaws as she glared down at Batchaser.

⠀⠀"Y-You aren't going to do anything to me," he spat, forcing his fur to lie flat. He'd have to do the one thing he knew best: be hostile.

⠀⠀A shrill, hoarse laugh left the calico's throat, her eyes shining with something Batchaser couldn't quite place. "Brave one, are you? This is a nice catch... there's no telling what I can do." Okay, he finally placed it. She had to be a psychopath. "Rip your claws and whiskers off? Gouge out your eyes?" A smirk crept on her scarred face. " _Rip you open and play in your insides_?"

⠀⠀"You crazy bastard!" Batchaser snarled, trying to wriggle free from her grasp. He was too weak to, however, and she clearly had done this before. That's what scared the black tom.

⠀⠀"I can smell your fear-scent," she whispered, thrusting her muzzle in his face. "That's what I like the most, dear one." Her breath smelled awful. Batchaser felt like his heart was truly going to explode.

⠀⠀Then, suddenly, literally out of nowhere, exactly like the cliché, "Hey I'm here to save you just before you get murdered," plot, a small body threw itself at the calico and knocked her off of Batchaser. She snarled and whirled around, snapping at the cat that had bowled into her. The former ShadowClanner was almost too shocked to stand but managed to do it, pain ripping through his body. He staggered to his paws and gasped at the sight before him.

⠀⠀ _Rushingpaw_ was here to save him!

⠀⠀The small gray tom was baring his teeth at the crazy she-cat, who reeled backward and slammed the apprentice into the ground with her paw. For a moment Batchaser feared she was going to kill him, then she starting laughing hysterically, falling on her tail and rolling onto her back. "YOU TWO ACTUALLY BELIEVED ME!" She wheezed and sort of keeled over.

⠀⠀Batchaser and Rushingpaw looked at each other. Then the black tom's ears whipped up when he realized who had just saved him. "Rushingpaw!" He propelled himself toward the apprentice, but told himself not to get to close. Batchaser didn't want it to look like he cared. He relaxed his tensed shoulders and let his face fall into the expression of blankness. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw gulped, ducking his head. Batchaser found it hard to hear the little gray tom from the calico's laughing. "Sh-Shellstar..."

⠀⠀The former ShadowClanner's claws sunk into the ground. "What did he do?"

⠀⠀"W-Well, after he killed you... there was sort of chaos?" The apprentice tipped his head to the side a bit. "Jackalstar attacked him and so did a few others. Some cats went over to see if you were alive... you weren't. Then I got mad and attacked Shellstar and, well, he killed me." Sadness made itself apparent in Rushingpaw's gaze.

⠀⠀Batchaser's heart dropped in his chest. "Rushingpaw, I'm so sorry. I know I caused--"

⠀⠀"HEY! Will you two stop blabbering and LISTEN to me? I've never seen such gullible cats!" The calico cut in, laughing again but eventually regaining her posture. She was actually quite regal-looking when Batchaser observed her, the calico looking less crazy as she watched the two closely.

⠀⠀"So..." Batchaser tucked his tail closely around his body awkwardly. "Was that all... fake?"

⠀⠀"Oh STARS. Of course it was fake, you idiot!" Her voice was gruff, much lower than any she-cat's he'd ever heard. "I do that to everyone that comes here. No one thinks it's that funny. I've even been told they had no idea I was joking! I knew I was joking!"

⠀⠀Batchaser and Rushingpaw exchanged glances.

⠀⠀The calico grumbled and sheathed her claws. "Fine, whatever, you're no fun anyway." She huffed and turned, ready to walk off.

⠀⠀"Wait!" Batchaser was surprised to see Rushingpaw leap forward. "Wh...Where are we? Who are you?"

⠀⠀"That _joke_ wasn't really funny either," the black tom added in, brows furrowing. "I really thought you were crazy or something."

⠀⠀The calico turned around, a surprised look on her face. "Crazy? I might be a little, but who wouldn't, living here for decades?"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw gasped. "Decades?"

⠀⠀"Yes, fool, or are you deaf?" the calico asked, her voice suddenly turning very cruel. Her discolored eyes were glimmering with anger. "I was sent here long ago, longer than I can even remember. And I thought StarClan was bad." She snorted, batting a stray leaf off of her face.

⠀⠀"This isn't StarClan, then?" Batchaser inquired, looking around.

⠀⠀The calico's gaze dropped. "Are you really that stupid? The only way to get here is through StarClan or The Dark Forest. Look around, you imbecile. This isn't StarClan." She paused, craning her muzzle to the sky. Batchaser grimaced at the blood-colored sun. "And INCASE you didn't somehow notice, we have a red sun. Now, ask me another question because I'm bored and no one ever comes here."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw opened and closed his jaws a few times. "Wh-Where exactly is _here_?"

⠀⠀The she-cat hesitated, digging her claws into the dirt. Hurt flashed behind her cold eyes and for a moment, Batchaser wondered if her whole personality was just an act. Quite possibly.

⠀⠀"This place is called The Forgotten Eternity," the calico began, dipping her head a little. "Cats that die in StarClan or The Dark Forest are sent here."

⠀⠀"I thought if you were killed in StarClan you just... disappeared," Batchaser murmured.

⠀⠀"I thought you got reincarnated," Rushingpaw added. Batchaser shivered.

⠀⠀"Nope." The calico shrugged, looking around. "It's sort of like a punishment place, I guess? I mean, there's hardly any prey, you forever keep the wounds you received when you died in StarClan, and it's just terrible and gloomy here. Now ask me another question because I enjoy feeling like a god." She smirked. "I don't get visitors much, and if I do I usually scare them off."

⠀⠀"Wonder why..." Batchaser grumbled sarcastically.

⠀⠀"Okay, who are you, then?" Rushingpaw inquired.

⠀⠀That made this calico's interest perk up. A smile stretched on her jaws, her eyes suddenly looking old and ancient. Batchaser just noticed the gray creeping up her muzzle. "Me? Well, little kit, you wouldn't have heard of me." Her jagged canines flashed behind her jaws. "My name is Cypressfall. I'm older than the moons themselves, kit." She rested her piercing gaze on Batchaser. "Now, my turn. Who are you two?"

⠀⠀"I'm an apprentice..." Rushingpaw mumbled.

⠀⠀The black tom gulped, looking down at the small gray tom before looking back at Cypressfall. His breath caught in his throat. What was he supposed to say? _"Oh, hey, I'm the cat that created a fake prophecy and ruined the Clans so I was brutally murdered by some crazy former leader because of it. And this idiot over here that I don't even like is suddenly my sidekick."_

⠀⠀Batchaser narrowed his blue eyes, finally knowing what to say. Cypressfall luckily didn't know them, so the black tom could pretty much say whatever he wanted.

⠀⠀"Our names are Batchaser and Rushingpaw, and we're here to save you from The Forgotten Eternity."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYYY two updates in less than 24 hours? I'm pretty proud of myself to be honest! I wrote this on a plane while listening to Chaos Chaos's Do You Feel It? so I guess it was sort of inspiration for this chapter.
> 
> If you didn't already notice (since I try to connect the universes between my stories), Cypressfall is a character from Cougarstripe's Shock. Since Bound to Stars takes place long after that series, Cypressfall has been in The Forgotten Eternity for a long time. I'm planning on making a timeline soon!
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for reading! You're all amazing. Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	14. Agreement

_Cypressfall didn't look nearly as_ impressed as Batchaser had wished. She gave them both a doubtful glare and ticked her claws, looking down at them in disinterest. "Uh, no."

⠀⠀Batchaser twitched an ear. "Uh, yes. StarClan sent us down here to get you."

⠀⠀"Then why were you so scared?" she challenged. "And why did your little friend save you?"

⠀⠀"H-Hey! I'm not little!" Rushingpaw piped up.

⠀⠀Cypressfall snorted. "Don't lie to yourself, runt."

⠀⠀Batchaser bit back from defending the apprentice. He had to act like he didn't care. No, he _didn't_ care. No act was needed.

⠀⠀"Well, we didn't really... uh, know we were coming here. It just happened." Batchaser paused, thinking of what to say.

⠀⠀"But StarClan called us here for a reason!" Rushingpaw exclaimed cheerfully. "I know it. We still have things to do back in the real world. And I know we met you for a reason, so obviously you're destined to help us."

⠀⠀Cypressfall looked between the two with a cocked brow. "Destined, eh? If anyone knows anything about _destiny_ , it's me, kit. And trust me when I say this: destiny isn't real."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's face fell. Batchaser looked away, his paws scrabbling in the dirt.

⠀⠀"I was always told I had some great, amazing future with my sister." The words rolled off her tongue bitterly. "My trust in providence didn't hold up, unfortunately. Especially when I was betrayed." Her claws scored the ground. "So don't hold StarClan up so highly, little one. And you, Bat... Bat-whoever-you-are. Don't believe their lies. All they want is complete control. And trust me, they have it. My foolish Clanmates couldn't see the difference between a dead mouse and an omen foreseeing the destruction of Fourtrees."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw tipped his head to the side. "Fourtrees?"

⠀⠀Cypressfall looked bewildered. "Yes. Have you been living under a rock all of your life?"

⠀⠀Batchaser twitched his tail irritably. "Apparently I have as well. I've never heard of this 'Fourtrees' place."

⠀⠀Her jaws gaped open. "But... But that's where Clan meetings go to every full moon..."

⠀⠀"We meet on the island," Batchaser scowled. What nonsense was she talking about?

⠀⠀"RiverClan's island?" she questioned.

⠀⠀" _No_!" Batchaser gritted his teeth in exasperation. "RiverClan doesn't live on an island."

⠀⠀The spark in Cypressfall's eyes was gone. "You've left."

⠀⠀"Left where?" Rushingpaw inquired.

⠀⠀"Don't listen to her," the black tom hissed. "She speaks no language of ours. She's crazy."

⠀⠀"No," the calico she-cat snapped. "Your mind is too small to comprehend what I speak of." Batchaser opened his jaws to retort something but she spoke before he had time to. "The Clans. They moved. Left their former territory for a new one. That is the only thing that makes sense. I am... decades old."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw straightened up. "Wow! Really?! Can you tell us anything about your old home?"

⠀⠀Batchaser shoved the runt apprentice aside. "No," he snarled, his mew sharp. "We didn't come here to share stories of the past. We've come because we need you to tell us how to get out of here."

⠀⠀Cypressfall was quiet before she went into a laughing fit. A growl thrummed deep inside Batchaser's throat. He wanted to claw this stupid she-cat's ears off! He took a step forward, eyes ablaze. "Hey! Cut it out. Tell us how to get out of here."

⠀⠀" _Get out of here_?" Cypressfall wiped tears from her eyes. "Silly you. There's no getting out of here."

⠀⠀It felt like a stone dropped in Batchaser's stomach.

⠀⠀"What?"

⠀⠀The calico stood to her four paws, swishing her tail behind her. "No one has ever left the Forgotten Eternity. It is sealed by StarClan's spell. That is why it's hell here."

⠀⠀"So... there isn't any way we can escape?" Rushingpaw's voice was thick with emotion.

⠀⠀Cypressfall paused. "Well, I never said there wasn't a way to _leave_. It's just that no one has ever been able to actually get to their destination."

⠀⠀Batchaser's fur bristled, his fangs showing. "Then just tell us where we need to go! We'll make it."

⠀⠀"Long shot," the she-cat snorted, licking her paw and drawing it over her ear.

⠀⠀Batchaser was filled with such rage he nearly exploded. Thankfully Rushingpaw took a step forward, holding the ShadowClan warrior back. "Look, Cypressfall, we really must return to our StarClan lives." His voice was soft and gentle.

⠀⠀"Why would you ever want to go back _there_?" she growled. "Far as I'm concerned, I'd rather be torn apart by rabid beasts than to have to face the sister that murdered me." Cypressfall looked angry but it was gone in an instant.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's eyes were pleading. "I beg you, Cypressfall. Just tell us."

⠀⠀Her furrowed brows dropped and she let out a sigh, drawing something in the dirt. "Okay."

⠀⠀Turning around, she narrowed her eyes and both Batchaser and Rushingpaw followed her gaze. They landed upon a large mountain in the distance, storm clouds circling around the peak.

⠀⠀"That's it," Cypressfall murmured, her voice suddenly quiet. "But there are many dangers along the way. No cat has ever made it."

⠀⠀"How do you know?" Batchaser questioned suspiciously.

⠀⠀"Because when I was killed in StarClan I was one of the first ones here." Her mismatched eyes looked distant. "A cat came not too long after me. They went into the forest. That is the first mark of the wolf’s claw." Cypressfall hesitated. "I heard his screams all night. He never returned. I told myself I would never give away the answer to escape to anyone because I couldn't bear to know that I sent another feline to their death."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw shuddered. Batchaser was silent.

⠀⠀Cypressfall suddenly met their gazes. "You must not go."

⠀⠀"Well we aren't rotting here," the black tom snapped back, his tail lashing behind him.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," Rushingpaw murmured, "but we have to leave. StarClan needs us."

⠀⠀Cypressfall looked crestfallen. "If you say so."

⠀⠀The gray apprentice's ears pricked. "Oh... and, uh, can you tell us what the wolf’s claw is? You mentioned it in your story."

⠀⠀It seemed like the calico's voice was caught in her throat. "The wolf’s claw is the five points in which you must pass before you reach the top of the mountain. They grow in order from simplest to hardest." Cypressfall paused. "The first is the Darkening Forest. And.... well, no one has made it past the first. But there are five, just like five wolf claws."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw dipped his head, looking grateful. "Thank you, Cypressfall. Your information will help us a lot. Really."

⠀⠀Batchaser avoided the she-cat's gaze and walked past the apprentice. "Come on," he growled. "We shouldn't waste any more time."

⠀⠀"O-Okay..." Rushingpaw said, continuing to cast looks back at the calico.

⠀⠀The apprentice suddenly stopped behind Batchaser, which caused the black tom to groan in exasperation and whip around. "What now?"

⠀⠀But it was like the small gray tom hadn't even heard him. "Cypressfall, because _we're_ —" Rushingpaw shot a look back at Batchaser "—so appreciative of what you told us, I just... wanted to ask if you'd come along?"

⠀⠀The calico's eyes lit up with surprise. But she suddenly shrunk away, looking unsure.

⠀⠀Batchaser groaned even louder and stamped his paw in the ground. "Seriously?! You little brat, why wouldn't you discuss this with me first? We don't have time to have another cat that'll just drag us behind!"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw ignored Batchaser. "I understand if you don't want to, but I think with more of us we can make it. And StarClan is different now. You might like it better."

⠀⠀"Yeah... _might_ ," Cypressfall grumbled uncertainly. "But... I've been here so long, I suppose I have nothing to lose." She suddenly straightened up, a new fire in her eyes. "Okay, I'll come along."

⠀⠀"UGHHHH." Batchaser whipped around furiously.

⠀⠀"Great!" Rushingpaw jumped on his paws. "Come on, then, let's go!"

⠀⠀And so the angry, the delighted, and the curious began their quest to the five wolf claws. But they knew not of what lied ahead of them... and how difficult this journey would really be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I suck another two months
> 
> More dialogue in this one but I actually enjoyed writing it. Gave a little more details on the Forgotten Eternity and how to escape and such. Also delved a little deeper into Cypressfall's character.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	15. The Darkening Forest

_The first mark of the_ wolf’s claw hadn't been far. Batchaser, Rushingpaw, and Cypressfall had walked a little ways before a dark forest came into view. The trees were clustered together, an eerie feeling in the area. Everything was silent except the pawsteps of the three cats.

⠀⠀Batchaser hadn't been particularly excited for this journey. His pelt had been prickling the whole time, his teeth bared and his eyes narrowed. He was still furious over the fact that Rushingpaw hadn't asked him about bringing along the crazy she-cat first, but tried to convince himself that all would be fine. After all, an extra set of paws wouldn't hurt... right?

⠀⠀"So who created the Forgotten Eternity?"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's question snapped him back into reality. His blue eyes flicked to the runt apprentice, huffing and twitching an ear. Who cared? They wouldn't be in here long anyway.

⠀⠀"Well," Cypressfall began, "I've heard many tales over my decades here. That secret StarClan cats created it—"

⠀⠀"Like ThunderClan?" Batchaser scowled.

⠀⠀"Hey, shut it, dingo," the calico snapped back. "I'm from ThunderClan. You should be careful—"

⠀⠀"Ohhhhhh great. We've brought along another useless ThunderClanner." Batchaser growled and whipped his tail in Rushingpaw's face. "You see what an annoyance you've invited to come with us?"

⠀⠀"Well..." The apprentice looked down. "ThunderClan really isn't that bad. I mean—"

⠀⠀Batchaser whipped around, blue eyes slits. "I was murdered by ThunderClan. Don't even try to defend them. They're heartless idiots that care nothing about anyone else."

⠀⠀"I'm _right here_ ," Cypressfall hissed through clenched teeth.

⠀⠀"I don't really care," the black tom snapped. "I'll never forgive ThunderClan or the lunatic cat that murdered me. So how about you just shut up? No one cares about your stupid stories."

⠀⠀"Hey! I do!" Rushingpaw growled.

⠀⠀"Oh, good for you," Batchaser sneered, "you're being sucked into her trap. But that's what they all get you to do." His mind flashed back to Jackalstar and the notion of the ThunderClan leader filled him with even more rage.

⠀⠀Cypressfall curled her lip. "What's wrong with you? I've never met such a cruel cat."

⠀⠀Batchaser was quiet, brimming with anger. "You're not the first to say that."

⠀⠀The calico rounded on Rushingpaw. "How do you deal with him?"

⠀⠀The gray tom ducked his head, hesitating to speak. "He and Jackalstar showed me StarClan when no one else did. I died so early on I... didn't have anyone there for me."

⠀⠀"That's about all he's done for you, huh?" Cypressfall concluded with a huff.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw didn't respond.

⠀⠀"Well, if you want to leave because you can't handle my mouth then please, go. I'd really love for you to do that," Batchaser growled.

⠀⠀"I'm good," Cypressfall answered.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw was silent for a while before turning his head toward Batchaser, an angry glint in his eyes. "Why do you have to argue with everyone? We're just trying to help but you push everyone down and make them feel horrible."

⠀⠀"Cats have pushed themselves down enough," he spat. "I'm just helping them realize who they truly are. I don't see anything wrong with that."

⠀⠀Lies. Batchaser hated who he'd become, but it was the mask he had. He would not allow it to slip.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's claws flexed. "Well, I do! You make me wish I'd never met you!"

⠀⠀"I wish I hadn't ever met you either," Batchaser ranted. "But we don't all get what we want. I was murdered, you died early, and now we're stuck with a crazy she-cat who's probably going to get us killed. So suck it up or leave. I don't care."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw flinched. "You're not the only one that's angry, Batchaser. I died too, and I don't even know what happened to me. How do you think that made me feel?"

⠀⠀"Yeah? Well you didn't lose the only cat that loved you!" Batchaser snarled, whipping around and scratching the apprentice across the cheek. Cypressfall watched, her paws rooted to the ground.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw looked shocked, his jaws gaping open. But he narrowed his eyes and leapt at the black tom, flailing his paws to scratch any part of him he could. "You're a terrible cat, Batchaser!"

⠀⠀"Yeah, I know!" The black tom threw him off and wiped blood from his cheek, panting. "But you didn't live nearly as long as I did. I saw more than you. So don't act all special since you died early. You can blame your mentor for that one."

⠀⠀Something flashed in Rushingpaw's eyes but he didn't say anything. "I hate you."

⠀⠀Batchaser scowled. "I know. You've said that about ten times."

⠀⠀"You two fight like kits," Cypressfall suddenly grumbled. "We're never going to make it through the forest if you two bicker and attack each other every two minutes. Apologize and let's move on."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw raised his chin, smirking at Batchaser. "Well? Go ahead, apologize."

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner rolled his eyes. "As if. I didn't do anything." He whipped around and continued to walk on.

⠀⠀"Hey!" The apprentice's angry mew sounded behind him.

⠀⠀Suddenly, a loud crunch filled the forest. Batchaser stopped, his ears swiveling upward and his eyes widening. The two other cats stopped beside him, looking around along with the warrior.

⠀⠀"Did you hear that?" Rushingpaw whispered.

⠀⠀"No, we're just looking around the forest for no reason at all," Batchaser said sarcastically.

⠀⠀Cypressfall twitched her tail. "I don't know what lives in this forest. It could be anything."

⠀⠀The black tom didn't respond. He heard another crunch and whipped his head in that direction, standing as still as possible. His companions grew as quiet as he did.

⠀⠀Red eyes blinked open, meeting Batchaser's gaze. The pupils turned to slits and suddenly a deep snarl filled the area. Then, a blur of gray dove claws-first toward the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYYY TWO UPDATES IN ONE DAY HOW ABOUT THAT
> 
> This is the first book I improvised in the beginning and actually planned later. My creative juices have been running and I'm nearly finished with Dawn of the Clans so inspiration! Expect more updates! And if I don't update within a week or two come on here and scream at me please I need to update more because I love this book and want to finish it okay (BUT HEY I'm gonna try to update it before that I promise)
> 
> But uh we still have a long while to go. I'm looking ahead to 25+ more chapters. I have a lot of future plans that are going to include some... eh.... mythological stuff so get ready for that. I mean Warriors is already a fantasy series but this is a separate universe/dimension from the original, so stuff will be changed. As in more mythological aspects.
> 
> Some questions:
> 
> -Who's your favorite character so far? (I know I ask this one a lot but I like to know if your opinions change)
> 
> -What challenges do you think the three companions will face in the Forgotten Eternity?
> 
> -What jumped out at them at the end of this chapter?
> 
> -What's going down back in the real world/StarClan?
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	16. Hound Territory

_Before even thinking of what_ he was doing, Batchaser quickly pushed Rushingpaw out of the way. The gray creature tore into his flank, a gasp wrenching from the black tom's throat as blood splattered on the ground. He pummeled the creature with unsheathed claws, looking up at it and realizing what he was really dealing with here.

⠀⠀A wolf.

⠀⠀The huge gray dog ripped out Batchaser's fur, snarling viciously as it clamped its jaws around his body. He gritted his teeth in pain and attempted to twist around, trying to bat at the wolf's eyes.

⠀⠀Luckily, however, Cypressfall was there. The calico she-cat flung herself on its back, hissing and spitting words Batchaser couldn't even hear. The wolf turned its head, dropping the black warrior in a cloud of dust to try and snap at Cypressfall.

⠀⠀Staggering to his paws, Batchaser reared up while the dog was distracted and attempted to slice open it's underbelly. A large cut was made along its chest, though not nearly deep enough to cause fatal damage. Turning back to him, the wolf growled and leapt forward with sharp teeth.

⠀⠀"Hey! Leave my friends alone!"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw was there. The apprentice hooked his claws into the creature's skin, tearing away at anything he could and swiping for one of its eyes. A booming shriek sounded from the wolf as it scampered away, a large scar now evident across its left eye.

⠀⠀"Good job, Rushingpaw!" Cypressfall praised, but didn't have much more time until the wolf was going after her. The fur along her back spiked up but it didn't scare the huge dog at all.

⠀⠀Narrowing his blue eyes, Batchaser sprinted after and sliced his claws down the wolf's underbelly again. Another pained howl came from its large jaws, blood splattering on the ground. It turned its one good eye to the ShadowClanner, snapping its head forward and trapping Batchaser in its jaws.

⠀⠀The wolf was bleeding out, but it was far from dead. It clamped down harder on the black tom, shaking him around as if he were a piece of prey. His body felt light as dizziness took over his vision, causing the world to spin around him. Batchaser felt like he might throw up, and along with the immense amount of agony from the wolf's sharp canines, he wasn't sure if he was even going to live.

⠀⠀He could see Cypressfall and Rushingpaw trying to attack and distract the creature, but it seemed intent on killing Batchaser first. Its teeth continued to sink in deeper and deeper, more blood running down the wolf's chin and staining the ground.

⠀⠀Darkness swarmed his vision. Batchaser wondered if he should just let himself die like this. He was aware that no one would miss him, so what was the point of fighting anymore? Letting his limbs and body go limp, the black tom sucked in what he guessed would be his last breath of air.

⠀⠀Batchaser did wonder where he'd go after this. If he died in The Forgotten Eternity, he guessed he wouldn't be given any more chances at life. After all, that's _why_ they had these wolves here and the five marks of the wolf’s claw. It was to kill cats that tried to escape.

⠀⠀Batchaser thought about his life. He wasn't sure why he had been allowed into StarClan anyway—he was a terrible cat, bringing others down just to make himself feel a little bit better. Rushingpaw and Cypressfall had been right. He was a horrible excuse for a feline. He was hated. So why even continue to live?

⠀⠀Suddenly, Batchaser could breathe again. He let out ragged coughs as his body dropped on the ground, blood spilling from his jaws. He closed his eyes and saw that darkness ebbing away at his vision, begging to take him.

⠀⠀ _But he was alive._

⠀⠀So he stumbled to his paws, pushed those selfish thoughts out of his mind, and staggered toward a nearby tree.

⠀⠀"Batchaser!" Rushingpaw gasped, running over to the injured tom. "I–I thought you were dead!"

⠀⠀The black tom shook his head, his heart thumping against his ribcage. "I–I'm fine," the ShadowClanner croaked.

⠀⠀"No, you aren't fine," Rushingpaw fretted. "Cypressfall, please come help him!"

⠀⠀"I said I'm _fine_." Batchaser's eyes narrowed and he turned his back on the apprentice, truly believing he was okay. However... that didn't go over so well when he staggered to the ground and fell on his side.

⠀⠀From this angle, Batchaser could actually see the wolf. Just like him, it was rolled on its side, eyes clouded as it emotionlessly stared at the sky. _Like him_. Maybe this was some... omen or something. That Batchaser had to stop listening to his mask. Maybe being injured to near-death was karma for his own treatment to others.

⠀⠀No, that was stupid. Omens were messages from StarClan used only for selfish reasons. And Batchaser wasn't even sure if StarClan could contact him through The Forgotten Eternity. It seemed no one knew about it, not even the oh-so-wise Jackalstar. The wolf had been nothing but an average animal attacking them.

⠀⠀Then came that dream-like state again. As if nothing was real. As if he were dead. Well, he was dead. He'd died twice. But this was like he wasn't even alive in The Forgotten Eternity. It was hard to listen to what Cypressfall was saying and the gaze in his vision was getting stronger, but he was finally able to make out her words.

⠀⠀"Batchaser. Batchaser, _listen to me_. Eat these herbs. They'll help you." The black tom's eyes flicked down and he inclined his head forward, lapping up the herbs and letting his head rest back on the soft, grassy ground, the dark trees towering above him.

⠀⠀The ShadowClan warrior didn't even feel Cypressfall wrap his wounds up with cobweb. His mind was a fuzz. He couldn't even comprehend what pain was.

⠀⠀"Come on, Batchaser. Come back to us."

⠀⠀Those words. They sounded... they sounded so much like her.

⠀⠀"Lynxbite?" he whispered hoarsely, a smile spreading across his jaws. "Is that you?"

⠀⠀There were quiet whispers before there was an answer. "No."

⠀⠀"Oh." Batchaser was able to crack open his eyes, his ears flicking back at the sight of Cypressfall and Rushingpaw again. It wasn't her after all.

⠀⠀"Come on, we need to get out of here," the calico she-cat meowed slowly. "Let's help you up."

⠀⠀"I'm hurt, not deaf," he snapped. Being talked to like a kit made the ShadowClanner angry.

⠀⠀"Looks like he's okay," Rushingpaw sighed.

⠀⠀Cypressfall nodded. "That's a relief."

⠀⠀Batchaser looked down, letting out a heavy breath before rising to his paws. "Let's go, then."

⠀⠀"Here, lean on me," Rushingpaw ordered.

⠀⠀"I can walk," the black tom spat. He lowered his head as he limped forward, pain shooting all the way up his body. Batchaser didn't complain, though. This was life. He would get through it.

⠀⠀"How much more of this stupid forest do we have?" Batchaser grumbled.

⠀⠀"A lot more," Cypressfall murmured.

⠀⠀"Great."

⠀⠀And with those last words, the three cats disappeared into the darkness of the trees, waiting to see what they would come across next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay seriously what is going on with my three updates in 2 days?????? This is insane seriously
> 
> I think it's cause I've wanted to write so bad but haven't had any inspiration and my writing has been terrible so YAY I'm finally back for a while knock on wood
> 
> Anywho, another update! Yayyyy. Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path✨


	17. Wolf Howls

_The night had dragged on_ for what seemed like centuries. Cypressfall didn't want to take many breaks so they wouldn't have the chance of getting attacked by another wolf, and water and food was hard to come by in the Darkening Forest. Not only that, but Batchaser could hardly keep his eyes open anymore. He was tired and injured. All he wanted to do was sleep.

⠀⠀The sky was much dimmer now, the red sun shifted into a darker crimson moon. A breeze blew through the trees and whipped Batchaser's whiskers back, but he enjoyed the wind. It reminded him of StarClan.

⠀⠀"Cypressfall?" The black tom heard Rushingpaw's exhausted croak. "H-How much longer?"

⠀⠀The calico she-cat's tail lashed behind her. "You've been asking me that all night. We'll rest when it's absolutely needed."

⠀⠀"It's _absolutely needed_." Batchaser shoved his way to the front and stopped in front of Cypressfall, his blue eyes dark. "We're resting here. _Now_. We haven't even seen a wolf for hours."

⠀⠀The she-cat's eyes narrowed. "That's a bad idea."

⠀⠀"If you're in such a hurry go ahead and leave," Batchaser growled. "We won't catch up to you unless you die, but really, either one is fine with me."

⠀⠀Cypressfall's eyes flashed with hurt but it was gone not a moment later. She shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Do what you want." The calico trudged to one of the nearby trees and curled up beside it, closing her eyes and not making a sound.

⠀⠀Batchaser turned to Rushingpaw, who seemed to have not even heard he and Cypressfall's exchange. "Come on. We're resting," he grunted.

⠀⠀Just like the calico she-cat had, Batchaser stumbled over to a large tree and fell to the ground. He let out a heavy sigh and set his head down, almost getting pulled into a deep sleep.

⠀⠀Until Rushingpaw messed it up.

⠀⠀The gray apprentice walked over, not uttering a word as he laid next to Batchaser. The black tom's head snapped up, his blue eyes narrowing at the sight of the apprentice so close to him. _Purposely_.

⠀⠀The black tom used a weak paw to push Rushingpaw a few inches away. He turned his back on the apprentice, not wanting to be near anyone right now.

⠀⠀"B-Batchaser," Rushingpaw suddenly whispered, his voice scratchy as his teeth clattered together. "I-I'm cold."

⠀⠀"Deal with it," the black tom snapped.

⠀⠀Batchaser could imagine the look of rejection on the small gray tom's face but tried not to think about that. He needed to be alone or else he was going to blow up. And that's not something he wanted Rushingpaw and Cypressfall to deal with.

⠀⠀ _Cypressfall can shove her tail down her throat. I'm doing this for Rushingpaw, not her._

⠀⠀Was that true? Was Batchaser truly not doing something selfish for once? The black ShadowClanner knew he had a bit of an ego, but again, that was more of his mask... that snappiness was just for show. But it had become a part of him now. Ever since Lynxbite... the mask had come to him, and Batchaser had welcomed it. But now? He wanted it gone, though it was too late. _It was always too late._

⠀⠀Suddenly, a low rumble made the black tom jerk back into reality. He stayed still, examining the dark terrain and looking for any sign of red eyes. Batchaser didn't see anything, but his heart felt like it was in his throat. Fear caused his pelt to spike up, but the ShadowClanner hoped that lying here without any movement would drive whatever creature was in the forest away.

⠀⠀"You heard it too?"

⠀⠀Cypressfall's mew nearly caused Batchaser to jump out of his skin. The black tom swiveled his head to the she-cat, brows furrowing as he nodded silently.

⠀⠀She craned her head up toward the tree the two were closest to. "Get Rushingpaw up there, quickly. I'll run over there when you both are safe."

⠀⠀The black tom nodded silently and slowly turned to the small apprentice, prodding him with his paw. "Rushingpaw, wake up."

⠀⠀A grunt only came from the runt.

⠀⠀His fur fluffing up with anger, Batchaser jabbed him in the side. Rushingpaw gasped and jumped to his paws, looking around. "What's going on?!"

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner huffed. "Come on, we need to climb." Batchaser jerked his head toward the tree behind him.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw gulped. "O–Okay. Why?"

⠀⠀"Just go!" he hissed, the tom's claws flexing.

⠀⠀The small tom didn't respond, gasping as he scampered up the trunk. Batchaser watched, his tail twitching as he looked around cautiously.

⠀⠀ _"Batchaser! Look out!"_

⠀⠀A pair of snarling jaws was right behind the black tom. He quickly ducked, sliding under the wolf's belly and grasping onto the tree. He began to lift himself upward, tucking his tail in as the wolf snapped for him. Batchaser managed to clamber atop a branch, just below Rushingpaw, watching the creature with wide eyes.

⠀⠀ _Cypressfall! Where is she?_

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner twisted his head around and watched as Cypressfall quietly climbed one of the other forest trees. Her mismatched eyes glinted in the dark, watching the wolf sharply. It whined as it circled around Batchaser and Rushingpaw's tree, drool dripping from its mouth.

⠀⠀Suddenly, a scream wrenched from the apprentice as he began to freefall toward the ground. Batchaser's heart leapt into his throat and he swiftly reached forward, grabbing Rushingpaw's tail in his jaws. The black tom groaned as he hooked his sharp claws into the tree, trying to keep them both hoisted up. However, the wolf was already jumping hungrily toward the small gray tom, and Rushingpaw's squirming certainly wasn't helping.

⠀⠀"Stop moving!" Batchaser spat through a mouthful of fur.

⠀⠀The branch, flimsy on its own, was beginning to slowly lean down toward the ground. Batchaser felt fear rip through his body as they grew closer and closer to the jumping creature. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cypressfall trying to leap to their tree, but the space was too far.

⠀⠀ _This is it. We're going to die, aren't we?_ Anger churned in Batchaser's chest. _I hate StarClan. Always have, always will. All they do is ruin everything. They don't even care about the cats they hurt, like me. They erase your memories and tell you you're special. But no one really is._

⠀⠀"BATCHASER! WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO IT!" Rushingpaw shrieked.

⠀⠀The black tom's fur spiked up. "I know," he said. "I can't do anything."

⠀⠀"BATCHASER! PLEASE—"

⠀⠀A huff from the wolf drew the ShadowClanner back into reality. He watched with a shocked expression as the gray creature fell to the ground, the life clouding out of its eyes. Batchaser let the two finally fall before the branch snapped, hitting the ground with a thud. Rushingpaw staggered to his paws, leaping back from the wolf as it twitched one last time before it died.

⠀⠀Cypressfall leapt from her own tree, padding over to see what had happened. She narrowed her eyes and placed her paws near an arrow in the wolf's side, then another, and Batchaser could see four arrows stuck in the creature.

⠀⠀"Who could've done this?" Rushingpaw whispered, creeping forward slowly.

⠀⠀"I don't know." Cypressfall shrugged. "Another cat, I guess. And they made arrows. I thought that was only a Twoleg thing."

⠀⠀"Me too," Batchaser grunted. "I've seen them once before, when we had to battle some stupid kittypets. Their Twoleg had a whole supply of arrows. It was weird." He narrowed his blue eyes. "But the question is _who_ did this?"

⠀⠀More rustling in the bushes caused the three to jump, whipping around to the source of the noise.

⠀⠀"A–Another wolf?" Rushingpaw whispered.

⠀⠀Cypressfall scented the air. "No. It's... it's not a wolf... it must be—"

⠀⠀Two dark shapes appeared from the foliage, their eyes glowing as they stared the three other felines down. Batchaser drew in a breath, Rushingpaw hid behind the ShadowClanner, and Cypressfall slightly narrowed her eyes.

⠀⠀And then one of the strangers spoke. "You're safe now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAYYYY I'm so happy I've planned every single chapter for this book so now all I have to do is write! I'm gonna try to aim for one chapter a day but we'll see? I have 60 chapters planned (plus the prologue, which is written, and the epilogue) so 63 chapters in all. This is a gonna be a long ride guys. Get ready!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it's a little late, this week has been busy with band, school, etc. Hope you enjoyed nonetheless! And who do you think these new strangers are?
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path!✨


	18. Newcomers

_The stranger's voice rang in_ Batchaser's ears.

⠀⠀"Safe now, hm?" Batchaser walked up to them, lashing his tail. The black tom was suspicious.

⠀⠀"Indeed." The smaller one stepped up, the one that had spoken before, her yellow eyes dim against her brown and gray pelt.

⠀⠀"Batchaser, stand back." Cypressfall moved forward, twitching a torn ear. "They saved us. Isn't that right?"

⠀⠀The other cat, a bulky dark brown tom, moved forward. Batchaser could see his muscles rippling under his pelt. "That's right. It's why you should be grateful." His eyes landed on the black tom, a fire burning within them. "Unlike your friend here."

⠀⠀"He's not my friend." Batchaser was taken aback as he snapped his head toward the calico. "Just ignore him."

⠀⠀"Excuse me?" the ShadowClanner hissed. "I'm the one that's getting you out of this dump."

⠀⠀"What are your names?" Rushingpaw crept up from behind the two, ducking his head as he asked the question, cutting off Cypressfall from responding to the black tom.

⠀⠀The she-cat purred. "I'm Pepperclaw." She jerked her head toward the huge tom. "This is my brother, Spicetuft."

⠀⠀ _Stupid names_ , Batchaser almost growled, anger spiraling in his chest. They didn't need help. They were fine! The black tom turned away, narrowing his blue eyes as he stared through the forest. The three were close to the end of the Darkening Forest. Couldn't they get out of this already and _leave_?

⠀⠀"How did you two get here?" Batchaser heard the perky question from Rushingpaw. He quickly spun around and jabbed the apprentice in the side with a paw, baring his teeth.

⠀⠀"Rushingpaw, you ask one more question and I'll rip your pelt off myself. The wolves won't even need to do that," Batchaser spat.

⠀⠀Cypressfall rammed into Batchaser, her eyes ablaze. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "These strangers helped us, kid. Stop being horrible and let us do the talking. _For once_."

⠀⠀Batchaser shook her off. "Whatever. If you don't want me to be myself that's fine. I'll just sit here and watch you all have stupid small talk."

⠀⠀Cypressfall didn't say anything, wrapping a tail around Rushingpaw and pulling him forward. Batchaser scowled.

⠀⠀"So, please." Cypressfall's purr sent Batchaser into a full-on rage. "Tell us how you got here."

⠀⠀Pepperclaw piped up, a half-smile crossing her muzzle. Batchaser just noticed the three claw marks circled around her eye. The scar had paled and had been grown over with her own mismatched fur. Maybe a wolf had done that. _Why do I care?_ Batchaser reminded himself. He slumped his shoulders and looked away in boredom.

⠀⠀"Well, Spicetuft and I grew up in ThunderClan." Batchaser groaned out loud but was ignored by the other felines. "Our father was the leader. His name was Dogstar."

⠀⠀"Dogstar? That is the DUMBEST name I've ever heard!" Batchaser exclaimed in a half-wheezing laugh. Cypressfall turned to glare at him and he snapped his jaws shut. "Right. Sorry, _my queen_." The calico scowled and whipped around, angling her ears forward to listen to the story.

⠀⠀"Our mother... well, she had been a medicine cat. She and my father's bond was sacred at one point... before she died. Lots of our Clanmates rejected us despite her passing, and even the other Clans had gotten a hold of the news. As soon as we had become warriors ShadowClan set out to kill us. We were terrified." Pepperclaw looked down and her brother straightened up to begin talking.

⠀⠀Before he could do that, however, Batchaser snorted. "Uhhhhh huh. Come onnnn, does anyone here really _believe that_?"

⠀⠀He looked around and all the other cats stared at him.

⠀⠀"Oh." He huffed and rolled his eyes. "I forgot we had three ThunderClanners here and a useless RiverClanner."

⠀⠀"Hey! I'm not useless!" Rushingpaw protested.

⠀⠀"Keep telling yourself that," Batchaser grumbled.

⠀⠀"What do you mean 'does anyone really believe that'? Does anyone really believe _what_?" Spicetuft swiftly moved forward, his shoulders wider than Batchaser's whole body.

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner craned his head up to meet Spicetuft's eyes. "I'm not scared of you," he growled, his claws curling into the ground. "So how about you stop trying to intimidate me? It just makes you look stupid."

⠀⠀"Pepperclaw?" The dark brown tom whirled around. "Will you give me permission to claw him?"

⠀⠀"Just _answer_ the question!" Cypressfall hissed. "Stop being difficult."

⠀⠀"Hmph." Batchaser shrugged. "I said that because I find it _extremely_ hard to believe that ThunderClan would ever turn against one of its own."

⠀⠀"What Clan are you from?" Spicetuft asked suspiciously.

⠀⠀The blue-eyed tom puffed out his chest. "ShadowClan."

⠀⠀The ThunderClanner huffed. "Figures. But I'm not telling my story to you, anyway. You disrespect those that are dead."

⠀⠀"I _am_ dead, you dumb idiot," Batchaser snapped. "I insult everyone. Don't act like you're so special."

⠀⠀"Let's just finish this story before you and that ShadowClanner fight," Pepperclaw finally cut in. "Plus, we don't want more trouble with wolves."

⠀⠀Spicetuft nodded and set himself beside his smaller sister. The she-cat cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, ShadowClan waged war against us. They murdered many of our cats. ThunderClan blamed us, but our father was the only one that really cared. That is..." Pepperclaw choked on a sob. "Until.... until..."

⠀⠀"Until?" Batchaser asked with a raised brow, annoyance clear in his voice.

⠀⠀"Until they killed our father," Spicetuft finished.

⠀⠀Batchaser snorted and looked away.

⠀⠀"After that, the deputy became leader. His name was Rockstar—"

⠀⠀ _These are the worst names I've ever heard in my entire life._

⠀⠀"—and he kicked us out. ShadowClan had been spying on ThunderClan so they... they hunted us down. They murdered us in cold blood." Spicetuft's voice became rough. "Then we were in StarClan, where angry ThunderClan cats killed us for ruining our Clan. And now we're here, and we've been living here for a long time."

⠀⠀Cypressfall and Rushingpaw were quiet, staring at the siblings with sympathy. "I'm sor—"

⠀⠀Batchaser cut in. "Enough with the sob story. How'd you kill those wolves?"

⠀⠀The calico turned angrily. "Batchaser—"

⠀⠀"It's okay," Pepperclaw interrupted. "Show them, Spicetuft."

⠀⠀The dark brown tom disappeared into the foliage for a few moments before he reappeared, dragging two weird things. Batchaser shoved his companions out of the way to look, cocking a brow. "What are those?"

⠀⠀"We call them Bow Arches," Pepperclaw explained. "Basically, you strap them over your back, make arrows, and bite down on the clamp. This will fire the arrows. They're quite deadly wolves."

⠀⠀ _Another stupid, terrible name._

⠀⠀"Whoa! That's so cool!" Rushingpaw exclaimed, running up to see closer. "Can we have some?"

⠀⠀Pepperclaw and Spicetuft exchanged worried glances. "Well, we don't have many. We made these and our backups. We can't give any away. We're sorry."

⠀⠀"So much for that." Batchaser heaved himself to his paws, the black tom's tail whipping behind him. "Cypressfall, Rushingpaw, let's go. I'm ready to get out of here."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw looked suddenly crestfallen.

⠀⠀"He's right," Cypressfall agreed, taking the ShadowClanner by surprise. "We need to leave before any wolves return. Thank you for your time, Pepperclaw and Spicetuft."

⠀⠀"Of course," Cypressfall nodded.

⠀⠀"Do you want to come with us?" Rushingpaw suddenly asked excitedly.

⠀⠀Batchaser whipped to the apprentice. "Rushingpaw, I swear—"

⠀⠀"Don't worry," Pepperclaw replied. "We've survived here long enough that it's become our home. We can't leave now."

⠀⠀"Besides, I don't think either one of us wants to hang around that _ShadowClanner_ ," Spicetuft growled.

⠀⠀Batchaser shrugged. "Fine with me."

⠀⠀"Let's go," Cypressfall said, pushing past the black tom and leading the way. Rushingpaw was on her heels.

⠀⠀Batchaser stared at the two, turning and beginning to walk off. But there was a nagging feeling in his stomach. He wanted to ask them something.

⠀⠀"Do you two.. still.. like StarClan?" Batchaser asked without warning, turning to stare at them.

⠀⠀Spicetuft look surprised but then scowled. "No. Why would we ever like them? They did nothing when our former Clanmates murdered us. They don't care about anyone." Pepperclaw silently nodded her head along with her brother's words.

⠀⠀The black tom gulped, nodding and turning to walk off. And those thoughts of StarClan didn't leave his head all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it's been two weeks but that's what I do when I have no motivation and my grades are failing and I'm grounded. Oh well. Hope you guys enjoyed, please vote and comment your thoughts and may StarClan light your path. 


	19. The Lost Maze

_The three had been walking_ for so long Batchaser thought his legs might snap off. His jaws were drawn into a half-snarl, panting heavily and feeling his wounds from the wolves wearing him down heavily. The conversation with those stupid siblings hadn't left his mind all day. They disliked StarClan just as much as he did. So why was he in such a hurry to get back?

⠀⠀An image of Jackalstar flashed into his mind. He snorted to himself, lashing his tail. _I don't care about her. She's a horrible brat, worse than Cypressfall or even Rushingpaw. Besides, it's not like I want to see Shellstar. Maybe this is a bad idea._

⠀⠀Batchaser did wonder. Was this a bad idea? They'd already gotten this far... it's not like the black tom was going to turn back now. That would be stupid.

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner didn't want to admit it, but he thought it might be because he was lonely by himself. At least in StarClan he had a few cats to interact with. Unlike here, he'd be alone with those stupid wolf-cats if he stayed. So Batchaser wasn't going to do that.

⠀⠀"What's that?"

⠀⠀The curious voice of Rushingpw snapped Batchaser out of his thoughts. His ears angled forward, his brows knitting together as he followed his companions' gazes.

⠀⠀In the distance, something large jutted out of the ground. Batchaser couldn't tell what color it was, but he knew it was most likely the next challenge. The black tom huffed and continued to move on, his tail twitching. "Come on. We're almost there."

⠀⠀Cypressfall looked uncertain but followed anyway, Rushingpaw casting looks around the empty field. _I hope we get there soon. This is the most uncomfortable journey I've ever been on_. Truly, it was. Cypressfall was insane and Rushingpaw was too quiet for comfort, ever since he'd been killed by Shellstar. Batchaser didn't like it. He missed the old Rushingpaw.

⠀⠀ _That's idiotic_ , he scolded himself, shaking his head. _Who cares? I sure don't._

⠀⠀Batchaser pretty easily convinced himself he didn't give a mouse's tail. But there was still that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that made him sympathize with the small apprentice. He died twice, at such a young age. _I mean, I did too, but... I got to live a long life. Rushingpaw didn't._

⠀⠀However, those notions were cut short when Rushingpaw started up his yapping again. The black tom grumbled something under his breath and raised his head, examining the place they were growing closer and closer to.

⠀⠀It was a huge structure, green, leafy walls towering above. Weeds jutted out of the ground, vines entangled around each other as they crawled up the sides.

⠀⠀"Woah!" Rushingpaw continued, eyes wide and bright. "What is this place?!"

⠀⠀"The Lost Maze," Cypressfall murmured.

⠀⠀"What?" Batchaser snapped, whirling around and fixing his piercing gaze on the she-cat.

⠀⠀"The Lost Maze," she repeated, louder this time. "I heard it thrown around every so often, but figured it was a kit's tale. However, this must be it."

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner huffed and turned back around, lashing his tail. "A maze, huh? This is the second challenge?"

⠀⠀"Has to be." Cypressfall took a small step forward, but shrunk back a bit. "Are we sure we want to do this? Cats said strange, dangerous creatures reside inside."

⠀⠀Batchaser rolled his eyes. "I thought you didn't know anyone that made it past the Darkening Forest."

⠀⠀"I don't anymore."

⠀⠀"Mysterious." The ShadowClanner looked down at Rushingpaw with a bored expression. "You ready?"

⠀⠀The small gray tom nodded slightly. "Yes. I just want to get back home."

⠀⠀"You aren't going home, kid," Batchaser said. "StarClan it is."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw looked suddenly sad. "You don't think that, when we get out of here, we'll be reincarnated or something? Or go back to the real world?"

⠀⠀"He's right," Cypressfall added. "Didn't you mention something about StarClan falling apart?"

⠀⠀"No," Batchaser hissed suspiciously. "How did you know that?"

⠀⠀"You weren't listening," the apprentice said in exasperation. "I told her about what happened."

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner growled. "Whatever. Don't expect to be going anywhere other than StarClan."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw was about to snap back but Batchaser was already walking into the maze.

⠀⠀"Hey!" the small tom protested, leaping forward. Cypressfall stayed a few feet behind.

⠀⠀"Here we go," she breathed, eyes wide. "We've made it to the Lost Maze."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY my last update was October 22 so technicalllyyyyyyyy it's only been a little less than two weeks since I've updated. Yay! I'm in class right now and we aren't doing anything so I decided to finish up this chapter. I know this was more filler but I thoroughly enjoy more dialogue so yeah, that's why I wrote it.
> 
> Next chapter, Batchaser is led away from the group by a strange she-cat... or is she really that strange? Let's hope no one pulls a Jack Torrance!
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	20. Grief

_"Batchaser, can't you slow down?"_

⠀⠀Cypressfall's sharp mew made the ShadowClanner's pelt prickle more. They'd already reached more dead ends than the actual path, and Batchaser wasn't exactly having fun in this stupid, terrible maze. What a waste of time. Nothing was even stopping them!

⠀⠀Rushingpaw raised his leg, sticking his tongue out. "Now I have mud all over my paws."

⠀⠀"Tough," the black warrior growled, "but you're the one making sure we don't get lost, and that means making a trail with paw print impressions."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw didn't respond. Batchaser didn't care, flicking his ears forward when he heard a soft voice. He stopped suddenly, Cypressfall yowling as she ran into the ShadowClanner.

⠀⠀"Watch where you're going!" she hissed, mismatched eyes narrowed. But Batchaser didn't pay her any mind, his shoulders squaring and his jaw tensing up.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw stared at him, wondering why he hadn't given his usual snappy response. "Batchaser...?"

⠀⠀The black tom saw a bushy tail streak by one of the paths. His heart began to race and the adrenaline coursed through his body and he suddenly felt like his spirit had been lifted.

⠀⠀"Lynxbite...!" His joyful mew broke the silence and he raced forward, the wind flying through his fur. Batchaser's companions called after him but he didn't care. He felt like he was flying.

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner darted through the maze, not bothering to keep track of where he was going. A smile, for almost once in his dreary StarClan life, crossed his muzzle. "Lynxbite!"

⠀⠀"...Batchaser! Stop! You'll get lost..."

⠀⠀The voice faded away as the black tom ran faster, trying to escape the others attempting to restrain him. Batchaser would not be restrained. This might be the only chance he had of seeing his mate.

⠀⠀Things slowed down. His ears pricked, the tom dodging weeds sticking out of the ground. The only noise was the buzzing of locusts.

⠀⠀"Batchaser..." The voice sounded far-off and dreamy. The ShadowClanner held his breath, not wanting to make a sound. She was here. She had to be.

⠀⠀Wait... no. No, this couldn't be real. Sadness tugged at the tom's heart as he realized that. Of course it was fake. Lynxbite hadn't believed in StarClan; she obviously hadn't died there, so it was impossible for her to truly be in the Forgotten Eternity.

⠀⠀ _Mouse dung_ , he cursed under his breath, his tail drooping. Batchaser turned to go back the way he came.

⠀⠀But...

⠀⠀It was Lynxbite.

⠀⠀Batchaser froze, stiffening and staring at the beautiful she-cat that had been his mate. The she-cat that had once carried his kits. Before... before she was murdered. Stars entwined her fur, her green eyes soft, yet a blazing defiance flickering in them at the same time.

⠀⠀"Is it really you?" Batchaser managed to splutter out, but it was barely a whisper.

⠀⠀There was a period of silence before she responded. "Yes."

⠀⠀The black tom closed his eyes, exhaling. "Oh, Lynxbite. It's so good—" But when he opened his eyes again, she was gone.

⠀⠀"Lynxbite?" Panic rippled through his chest, but it was soon replaced with a burning anger. "Hey! Lynxbite! Come back!"

⠀⠀Batchaser bolted after her. It felt like a hot ember was burning in his chest, lapping his emotions in flames and dampening them with the rage that ran deep within his bones.

⠀⠀"LYNXBITE!" he yelled. His short breaths eventually grew into drawn-out pants, which turned into a wheezing and he forced himself to stop. Batchaser's chest felt constricted, like the fire was puffing out more and more smoke until it had drawn out completely.

⠀⠀After the ShadowClanner was able to catch his breath, he raised his head, trying to catch sight of any stray stars that had left Lynxbite's fur. "L-Look," Batchaser called out. "Just come back, one more time. That's all, just once. Then... then you can do whatever, it doesn't matter. Just return for the last time. I want to... to see you again."

⠀⠀He waited. And he was patient. Batchaser thought his bargaining might actually work, but after the dragging of many minutes he let out a pitiful sigh. "So. You're not coming. I see how it is."

⠀⠀An empty pit weighed in his stomach, like a stone lodged between the pine trees that wouldn't budge. His eyelids fell, his fur flattening completely and numbness eating away at his body.

⠀⠀He had failed. The one time Batchaser might have been able to see the love of his life, the light in his darkness, she had disappeared, and he had been too weak to catch up to her. He was too weak, too pathetic, too stupid to understand what he had lost. He was a _failure_.

⠀⠀Just when Batchaser had almost lost hope, just when he thought he had failed everything in life... she appeared. And her smile made Batchaser smile, and her everything made him smile, and he rushed over to her, locking her in an embrace and curling his tail around her's. She was real. She was here. That sweet, sweet pine smell still clung to her pelt, causing the black tom to remember his time in ShadowClan, when he'd been alive and when Lynxbite had been alive.

⠀⠀It was truly an amazing feeling.

⠀⠀"Don't worry, my dear..." she murmured, her voice silky, sounding like it was coated in honey. "Things will turn out alright. Never lose hope. Always rely on your heart."

⠀⠀Batchaser closed his eyes. "Thank you, Lynxbite. I love you. I love you so much, and I've missed you more than you even know."

⠀⠀"I know," she said. "I've been with you this whole time. This is the only place I've been able to manifest."

⠀⠀"Thank you," he whispered, joy filling him up from his nose to his tail-tip.

⠀⠀"Of course, Batchaser..."

⠀⠀Her voice faded away, and before he knew it she had disappeared, but her sweet smell was still here, and so were the stars that had been flung off of her pelt, and he remembered her voice and remembered why he'd fallen in love with her.

⠀⠀"I'll miss you, Lynxbite." He smiled. "And I know you'll always be in my heart, no matter how rough things get."

⠀⠀And the acceptance finally filled him through and through. For once Batchaser felt content, excited, happy, _loved_. It had been moons upon moons. Why had he ever let himself slip into who he was now?

⠀⠀However, that feeling didn't last long. Because when he truly realized where he was, what he was doing, and the friends he'd left behind, a breath wrenched from his throat.

⠀⠀"Oh, StarClan. I'm lost."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYYYYY it hasn't been that long since I last updated SO I'm really proud of that. And I'm really proud of this chapter in general and ajajsjanak I think it's actually written really well and I'm sorry if I sound annoying for praising myself but look I'm just giving myself a pat on the back for this writing okay it's some of the best I've ever done
> 
> Oh also if you didn't realize he basically went through the five stages of grief in a very short amount of time. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Go back if you missed it~
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	21. Memories

_The memories flashing aside the_ maze were those Batchaser would rather not remember.

⠀⠀His blue eyes strained ahead, his ears pricked and his movements sharp and precise. He didn't want to hear the words he spoke to former Clanmates, or the screeches that wrenched from his throat every night after Lynxbite had died, or _anything_ about his living life.

⠀⠀Those were memories better left stored away. But anxiety prickled in his chest and he felt growing fear based on the fact that he had oh-so-stupidly left his companions.

⠀⠀ _Mouse-brain_ , he cursed at himself, _you shouldn't have even left._

⠀⠀Then again, Batchaser didn't regret seeing his mate. Even if she was in another place in the skies, she was still with him, in his heart. That's all that mattered.

⠀⠀ _Stop being a sappy idiot_ , the black tom snapped in his head. _Find your_. . . He caught himself on the word "friends." . . . _Travel buddies_.

⠀⠀That sounded a little better.

⠀⠀Lost deep within his thoughts, he didn't even see the blur of movement beside him. His breath caught in his throat when he tripped over a cat. Batchaser hissed and whirled around, claws unsheathing and his tail whipping furiously behind him. He was ready for a fight, until—

⠀⠀"BATCHASER!" Cypressfall yelled, but it wasn't one full of joy. The ShadowClanner hadn't expected it, anyway. No one ever enjoyed seeing him.

⠀⠀Except maybe Jackalstar, but that back-stabbing idiot meant nothing to Batchaser anymore.

⠀⠀Clearing his throat, the black tom rolled his shoulders forward. "Maybe you should watch where  going."

⠀⠀Cypressfall's lip curled. "Maybe you should watch where you're going!"

⠀⠀Batchaser responded with the roll of his eyes. He turned around, narrowing his blue eyes. "Where's Rushingpaw?"

⠀⠀The calico was quiet for a few moments. "I don't know. He wandered away."

⠀⠀"Wow. Great job at keeping your companions together," the black tom accused.

⠀⠀"Hey!" she spat. "This is your fault, remember? You wandered away and that's when Rushingpaw scampered off like the—"

⠀⠀"Like the little rat he is, I know," Batchaser said in boredom, examining his claws. "Whatever. He'll turn up."

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner turned to continue on until he was stopped by Cypressfall's oddly quiet voice. "You saw it too, didn't you?"

⠀⠀Batchaser turned toward her, his tail flicking back and forth. What did she mean? Had she seen memories of her past as well? What had they been of?

⠀⠀Like he cared. Ripping his gaze away, the black tom idly nodded and went on without another word.

⠀⠀The two continued to walk in silence. There was no scent of Rushingpaw that Batchaser could pick up, but he wasn't too worried, to be honest. He knew the small gray tom would turn up eventually.

⠀⠀ _Unless he was eaten by some giant plant, oh, I hope. StarClan— AGH! I hate that word. Whatever, it would just be awesome to not have him around right now._

⠀⠀Did Batchaser really believe that? Or had he just convinced himself he truly didn't care?

⠀⠀ _I don't care._

⠀⠀That couldn't be true.

⠀⠀ _I. Don't. Care._

⠀⠀"Batchaser? Is that the end of the maze?"

⠀⠀He flicked his head upward, noticing the walls enclosing into a grassy field. The black tom nodded, continuing to walk forward, but Cypressfall wavered.

⠀⠀"What?" he asked, turning around when he realized the calico wasn't following.

⠀⠀She opened and closed her jaws. "I have a feeling that Rushingpaw is still in the maze."

⠀⠀Batchaser huffed. "Wouldn't it be more sensible to look for him out in the _open_ field? Not in a stupid enclosed maze when we'll inevitably get lost again?"

⠀⠀"Not if he isn't out there," the she-cat argued. "Maybe we should look harder—"

⠀⠀"Or maybe you should just stop worrying so much," Batchaser interjected.

⠀⠀"Well _someone_ has to worry!" Cypressfall protested. "Since you're acting like a stuck-up little kit—"

⠀⠀Batchaser laughed. "Oh, please. Like you didn't act like some insane prophet of the moon when I met you."

⠀⠀"And you're acting like you weren't a scared little baby when I met you," she hissed.

⠀⠀The black tom's neck fur spiked up. "You want to play the insulting game? Okay, how about when—"

⠀⠀A soft cry pierced the air.

⠀⠀Both Batchaser and Cypressfall lifted their heads in confusion, turning to look around at whatever was making the noise.

⠀⠀"Rushingpaw," they both said in unison when the realization hit them, the two running toward the source of the cries.

⠀⠀They ran into a few dead ends, Batchaser's frustration quickly growing. _Ugh! When will we find that stupid brat?_

⠀⠀The black tom backed into another part of the maze, his eyes widening when they landed on Rushingpaw. He was slouched over, his body jerking as sobs echoed from his jaws. The black tom tensed up, raising his tail to halt the calico when she came up behind him.

⠀⠀Batchaser was about to call his name out until the ground rumbled. He and Cypressfall exchanged a glance, mostly out of confusion but with the slightest flicker of worry.

⠀⠀"What... was that?" Cypressfall asked in a wheeze.

⠀⠀The walls of the maze suddenly began to shake. The black tom took a tentative step back, looking around. _Oh, no. No no no no. Is the maze collapsing?_

⠀⠀"Stars," Cypressfall breathed. "It's time oriented."

⠀⠀"What?" Batchaser snapped, whipping his head to her.

⠀⠀"The maze," she began, "we only have a certain amount of time to get out before... before it destroys itself."

⠀⠀The black tom knit his brows together suspiciously. "And how exactly are you sure about this?"

⠀⠀"I always said no cat had gotten farther than the Darkening Forest... but I remember, rarely, the ground would start rumbling lightly. I just imagined it was some small earthquake. But..." She lifted her eyes to the shaking walls. "Clearly I was wrong."

⠀⠀"How would the maze know when to collapse, though?" Batchaser asked.

⠀⠀...

⠀⠀"The memories," the two said together again.

⠀⠀"Okay, whatever, we can figure this out later," the ShadowClanner concluded. "Right now, we need to get Rushingpaw out of here before we're toppled over by falling rocks."

⠀⠀"Can't argue with that," Cypressfall muttered, following Batchaser closely.

⠀⠀"Hey— Rushingpaw!" The black tom's bark was rough and edged with venom. When the gray tom didn't respond, Batchaser realized maybe a... less harsh tone would be more approachable. By the look on the calico's face, she seemed to agree.

⠀⠀"Uh— Uh... Rushingpaw? Hey, buddy?" he began, taking a small step forward.

⠀⠀ _Stars, I am totally the wrong cat for this._ He paused. _Stars. I like that. It's a better alternative than StarClan. I guess I can thank the crazy she-cat for that one._

⠀⠀"Less thinking, more moving!" Cypressfall hissed when the ground shuddered again.

⠀⠀Batchaser growled something under his breath and flicked his tail back and forth, trying to hide his sympathy with annoyance. It's what he did best. Make cats feel terrible.

⠀⠀ _What a reassuring thought._

⠀⠀Sighing, Batchaser wrapped his tail around the small tom's body. Rushingpaw reacted with a small flinch, but said nothing more. "Rushingpaw? Hey, Rushingpaw. Look, err— we kind of need to get out of here or it could lead to a certain death. We don't really know where you go when you die for the third time but, uh, can we go? Please? I really don't want to be buried alive."

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner was about to speak again when there was a long period of silence, until the apprentice finally said something.

⠀⠀"Whisperkit..." he whispered. "A-And Bushkit... my parents... RiverClan... I left them. I l-left them behind in ruins."

⠀⠀Batchaser scowled. "Don't be stupid. Blaming yourself for a death you couldn't control is non-sensible."

⠀⠀"I drowned," Rushingpaw blurted out. "I saw my death. Whisperkit was there... we snuck out, we were playing by the river."

⠀⠀"' _We_ '? You were an apprentice. Why would you need to sneak out?" Batchaser inquired. Cypressfall shot him a look that said "hurry up or I'm going to claw your pelt off, unless I die instead because of your slow tail."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw didn't reply to the question. He only hesitated and continued. "So... so then I fell in. A RiverClan cat, _drowning_ in the river. How can I ever forgive myself for being such a failure?"

⠀⠀"Rushingpaw, you dying wasn't your fault," Batchaser said, his eyes flashing. "I was murdered. You think I don't want to get my claws on that mouse-brained, good for nothing, idiotic—" Cypressfall cleared her throat impatiently, "—uh, whatever, but I felt terrible when I found out about my death. You're young. You shouldn't have to feel that way. If you want to blame anyone, blame your mentor for not teaching you to swim sooner."

⠀⠀That didn't seem to give the small tom ease, but his shoulders dropped and it felt like his body was a feather. _Finally!_ Batchaser grabbed Rushingpaw's scruff and whirled around, pummeling toward the exit of the maze and gasping as the walls began to crack into pieces behind them. One nearly smashed into the ShadowClanner, but he swerved around it and managed to make it to the clearing. Cypressfall was there as well, the small gray tom secured safely in Batchaser's jaws.

⠀⠀Gasping for air, the black tom turned his head and watched the maze completely destroy itself. He dropped Rushingpaw, staggering to his paws and making sure the calico wasn't hurt.

⠀⠀"Is everyone okay?" Batchaser asked, eyes flickering to his companions.

⠀⠀"Just dandy, thanks," Cypressfall groaned. Rushingpaw didn't respond.

⠀⠀Batchaser raised his blue eyes to what was in front of them. Another forest spread out, but it resembled ThunderClan's territory more than anything. Definitely not as scary as the Darkening Forest.

⠀⠀"Well..." Batchaser drew himself forward, his ears pricking. "Let's get on with this quest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some direct inspiration for this chapter was Don't Leave Me Now by Pink Floyd and Empty Spaces by Pink Floyd (both from their album The Wall, which I've been obsessed with lately). Give em a listen while you read if you want. 
> 
> Anywho, next chapter wait to see some really weird things go down. Souls and all that good stuff.
> 
> Thank ya all reading! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path 


	22. Drifting Souls

_The three had been walking_ silently for a long while.

⠀⠀The maze had been left far behind, a moor stretching out in front of the cats, clumps of heather scattered in dips and a few trees sprouting out of the ground here and there. Straining his eyes, Batchaser was able to make out a forest farther away, the oak trees wavering under the crimson sky.

⠀⠀"I'm guessing that's whatever is next, since nothing has come up since the maze..." the black tom muttered, blue eyes flickering to the other two.

⠀⠀Cypressfall shrugged. "Maybe." Her eyes looked troubled and far-off, Batchaser noticed, but he didn't press.

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's head hung a little lower than usual, too. "I just want to get out of here.."

⠀⠀"We've probably gotten farther than any other cat," Batchaser mused, trying to lighten the mood in any way possible. He was about to rip his fur out from the deafening, awkward silence.

⠀⠀Cypressfall tipped her head. "Maybe."

⠀⠀"Is that all you say?" The ShadowClanner scowled.

⠀⠀"I just... I don't know.." Her voice trailed off and Batchaser fixed her with a pointed stare. She continued a few moments later, standing still. Rushingpaw hardly seemed to notice. "I saw so much in the maze. It makes me wonder if... if going on is worth it. Or if I even deserve it."

⠀⠀"You're doing this for yourself and no one else," Batchaser pointed out, swishing his tail. "Why does it matter if it doesnt affect anyone else?"

⠀⠀"But it _does_!" Her voice rose into a slight wail. This time the apprentice stopped, looking back with worry and confusion. "I took my sister's mate... he wasn't even part of ThunderClan.."

⠀⠀Batchaser grunted. "Forbidden love is overrated."

⠀⠀"I _stole_ him from her," she choked. "And then Icestar... we fought..."

⠀⠀"You didn't _steal_ anyone. If this forbidden love chose you over your sister then it's their fault, not your's." Batchaser shrugged. "And if Icestar couldn't forgive you for that, then what kind of sister is she?"

⠀⠀"I had the kits she was meant to have..." the calico whispered.

⠀⠀"Did they do good in their lives?" Rushingpaw suddenly asked, his voice soft and gruff with internal pain. Batchaser turned his muzzle toward the gray apprentice.

⠀⠀"Yes." Cypressfall smiled softly.

⠀⠀"Then it was destined to happen," Rushingpaw murmured, smiling at the she-cat. He rested his tail on her shoulder and the two went on. Frowning, forcing his face into a scowl to hide his slight worry, Batchaser quickly caught up.

⠀⠀"So, are we going there next?" he asked, pointing with his tail toward the towering trees farther off. Cypressfall twitched her ear in recognition to hearing his voice.

⠀⠀"I'm guessing, I haven't seen anything else since the maze collapsed. I figured the forest would be the next step to the journey." She eyed Batchaser. "What do you think?"

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner shrugged. "I guess. Let's just hope there aren't any wolves. I really would rather not have my fur torn out this time..."

⠀⠀"You can say that again," Rushingpaw muttered under his breath. The young cat's ears suddenly pricked and he pointed excitedly toward the treeline, oaks shadowing whatever was inside. Batchaser was sure this was just a trick on sore eyes. "Look! Lights! Do you see that?"

⠀⠀Batchaser did see the faint glow of a yellow orb, drifting out of the woods before slipping back inside and disappearing into the shadows, a flicker of light in the darkness. It reminded Batchaser of himself. Always mean and irritable, swallowed by darkness, only a sliver of light forcing its way out from time to time... He shook his head and twitched his tail, now was the time to think about the quest, not himself.

⠀⠀Before Batchaser could say anything else, Cypressfall and Rushingpaw were already running toward the towering oaks. The ShadowClanner's eyes narrowed and he pounded after them, his paws kicking up tufts of grass that swept into the air behind him. The two disappeared into the foliage and Batchaser hesitated before diving forward, bramble clawing at his face. He hissed and flicked the swaths away, feeling thorns prickle his skin and dribble blood down his cheeks. He wiped the crimson liquid away and muttered angrily as he came crashing out of the clearing. Brows furrowed, Batchaser was about to scold the two until there was a sight before him he'd never seen before.

⠀⠀Orbs. Orbs of all shapes and colored drifted around the clearing, swooping high and low to the ground, curving around each other and some circling the group. They emitted a light glow, different colors burning from the inside and lighting up the place. Batchaser, intrigued, stepped forward toward a red one. It stopped and his heart lurched as he saw what was inside.

⠀⠀A white tom, fangs drawn into a snarl as he leaped at a tabby she-cat. Blood, darkness, anger... Batchaser could almost feel it pulsing through his claws. He turned away and noticed a green one floating forward. Looking into the depths of this orb, he saw a sleek silver she-cat surrounded by pine trees, eyes wide with fear and her fur on end. Shadows leapt out of the undergrowth and tackled her to the ground, slitting open her throat as her petrified screams filled the air. Blood, darkness, fear.

⠀⠀Batchaser knew what this was. "Souls," he whispered.

⠀⠀"Hm?" Rushingpaw tipped his head toward the black tom. "Souls?"

⠀⠀"Yes... my mate always loved talking about souls.. how the different colors showed who cats are. She said my soul was orange. Fiery and full of spirit." His heart wrenched in his chest as grief nearly toppled him to the ground. "I think that's what these are. They're the souls of cats, stuck in this forest clearing, only the memory letting them live on as orbs. They're drifting souls."

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's eyes grew soft. "I... didn't know you had a mate... what.. what happened to her?"

⠀⠀Batchaser let the sadness die away and set his jaw in a straight line, narrowing his eyes. "Don't bother asking."

⠀⠀"I see it now!" Cypressfall jerked her head back, eyes sparkling with excitement. "They're the color of souls!"

⠀⠀"A little late.." Batchaser muttered.

⠀⠀"Don't you get it?!" She looked around wildly. "We have to take them! We need to get them back to their bodies! This is the next task!"

⠀⠀In a matter of seconds, Rushingpaw and Cypressfall had begun gathering the orbs in their paws. Batchaser's eyes widened and he waved his paws in front of him. "Woah woah woah! We can't get sidetracked now, we're supposed to be leaving as soon as possible, not staying for longer!"

⠀⠀Cypressfall shook her head. "No! I know this is right! I can feel it."

⠀⠀"I think I can too!" Rushingpaw exclaimed.

⠀⠀Batchaser growled. Was he the only sane one here? This had to stop! It would only take longer for them to escape. So, bushing out his fur to appear larger and scarier, the ShadowClanner said, "How about-"

⠀⠀Then, out of the corner of Batchaser's eye, before he could do anything to control the situation, leapt a shadowy creature. And it was aiming straight for Rushingpaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o cliffhanger sorry haha ;)
> 
> Anyway yeah it's been a while sorry. Finals and anxiety and no motivation even though all the plans are finished for this book I'm just great aren't I
> 
> I'm having a heartburn problem right now so. That also sucks and makes it harder to write. Oh well.  
>  Hope you guys enjoyed, please vote and comment your thoughts and may StarClan light your path


	23. Dead Isn’t Dead

_Batchaser didn't have even a moment's time to react until the creatu_ re had Rushingpaw locked beneath its claws. It snapped at the apprentice, snarling as spit flew from its lips, its almost decaying gray fur splitting open cracks in its body. Batchaser's eyes widened in horror and panic tightened his chest but he threw himself forward, slamming his front paws into the creature and rolling on the ground with it.

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner pinned it down with his paws, staring into its lifeless gray eyes that sparked hunger and fear. Batchaser's claws trembled as he was caught in a trance until Cypressfall dragged the black tom off of the creature, slitting open its throat. The decaying creature halted and staggered forward, body spasming as it tumbled to the ground.

⠀⠀Batchaser has expected a pool of blood to leak around the creature, but instead there was nothing. He stepped forward tentatively, rolling the creature over and examining its features. The slit throat was like a gaping hole in the middle of its throat, Batchaser able to see the darkness of its insides.

⠀⠀He closed his eyes and drew back, disgust crawling up his throat. He let out a shaky breath and looked over toward Rushingpaw, who was shaking madly as Cypressfall wrapped her tail around his body and whispered motherly things.

⠀⠀Turning his attention back toward the deceased... or deceased-again creature, Batchaser was finally able to determine what it was. The rotting corpse of a smudged silver cat, once dead but alive again. It didn't make sense, but he knew who this feline was.

⠀⠀"This is the cat I saw in one of the orbs," Batchaser said. "The she-cat, surrounded by fear as she was murdered by a group of other cats..." His gaze fell toward her throat. "She must've died here. That's what the cats that attacked her were. It's why she was so afraid... and then her fear became an orb, and now she's trapped here like the rest of them."

⠀⠀"So... dead isn't dead, then?" Cypressfall grumbled.

⠀⠀"Apparently not." His tail waved behind him, eyes serious. "Living but dead cats... whatever they are, they don't bleed and are very vicious. We need to get out of here, now."

⠀⠀"Fine by me." The calico led Rushingpaw away from the corpse, Batchaser shooting looks back behind them. He heard the rustle of leaves and his ears pricked, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. _No. No. I will not be afraid. I have to protect my friends._

⠀⠀Batchaser hadn't though of Rushingpaw and Cypressfall as friends much before. But after what they'd been through, after the ShadowClanner had helped Rushingpaw into StarClan, after they'd teamed up with Cypressfall to escape the Forgotten Eternity... it seemed apparent they weren't just acquaintances. Batchaser would defend their lives and they would do the same for him.

⠀⠀That didn't calm him down nearly enough when a low, bone-chilling moan echoed through the forest. Batchaser froze, heart pounding in his ears as he turned around. He stopped breathing as a hoard of dead-but-alive cats tumbled after the group, mouths gaping horridly, blood smeared over their bodies and some with decaying limbs.

⠀⠀ _Stars. We have to get out of here!_

⠀⠀"MOVE!" Without even thinking twice, Batchaser whipped around and shoved Rushingpaw forward. Cypressfall hissed as she staggered to the nettle-covered floor bur was back on her paws, bolting with the gray apprentice close behind. The ShadowClanner followed, the wind blowing his whiskers back and whipping through his fur. The groans of the dead-but-alive cats grew louder and Batchaser's fur spiked. They wouldn't be able to escape!

⠀⠀Thinking fast, he craned his head up toward one of the trees and barked the order: "CLIMB THE TREES! NOW!"

⠀⠀Hopefully they understood. Trembling, Batchaser hooked his dirt-covered claws into the bark and hoisted himself upward. Fear and adrenaline pushed him forward and he curled his tail close to his body, the dead-but-alive cats attempting to climb but failing.

⠀⠀He gasped heavily, his breath coming out in pants every so often and his ears twitching with every snap of a twig. Batchaser tossed his head over his shoulder to make sure Cypressfall and Rushingpaw were okay, which, thankfully, they were.

⠀⠀Letting himself suck in oxygen, the black tom's fur eventually began to smooth as the dead-but-alive cats sort of gave up and stumbled away, inevitably looking for more prey to munch on. He waited for what seemed like hours until he hopped to the ground, the ShadowClanner watching his two friends do the same. He sighed contently, about to open his mouth to speak until an angry hiss cut him off.

⠀⠀"What in StarClan's name was that?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of a short chapter, sorry bout that but yeah. Some zombified cats cause it was one of the only other ideas I had for the third challenge but AYYY yeah I think it went okay
> 
> Anywho next chapter get ready for some fighting because apparently these three can't stay positive about anything or be nice to each other oop
> 
> Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	24. Split

_"What are you on about?"_ Batchaser snapped back, eyeing Cypressfall as he scratched his ear with his back leg. His claws flexed subconsciously and the tom scowled. He'd just saved them and now the stupid she-cat seriously wanted to argue? What a pest!

⠀⠀"You're such a control freak!" the calico snarled, spit flying from her lips. Batchaser grimaced and wiped some from his fur, curling his lip at her continuation of words. "We would've been able to proceed just fine had you not been all over the place! Go here! Go there! _Stars_ , you're impossibly impossible!"

⠀⠀Batchaser snorted, unaffected by the yelling. He looked toward the small gray apprentice. "What do you think, Rushingpaw? Was I really so crazy?"

⠀⠀The little tom shuffled his paws, head dipping toward his paws. Batchaser realized this was a Yes in Rushingpaw language and growled. "WHAT?! I saved your life, you ungrateful furball!"

⠀⠀" _He's_ ungrateful? You're the one that's been making this the worst journey of all time!" Cypressfall squared the black tom up, eyes glittering with fire. "No wonder you were sent to the Forgotten Eternity. How could anyone like you?"

⠀⠀Batchaser's heart hurt slightly from that statement but he pushed it away, furrowing his brows. "Oh, come on, darling, you think I care what someone else thinks about me?" He scowled and rolled his eyes.

⠀⠀"I think you do on the inside," Cypressfall said. "You just don't show it. Maybe if you stopped masking your emotions and interacted with others like a real cat then you wouldn't be so disliked!"

⠀⠀"Oh, mouse _dung_!" He rose to his full height, glaring down at her. "The only reason I'm here in the first place is because StarClan is full of a bunch of self-entitled brats that think they know everything about everything!" His paws flew up in exasperation. "What am I supposed to do about that? Play along? No, I refuse."

⠀⠀"Clearly," she laughed cruelly. "I think your rebellion against authority is the reason you were killed in the first place."

⠀⠀Batchaser flexed his claws, fury throbbing through his chest. He felt a fireball forming but quenched it; the only hint of his true anger was the agitated twitch of his tail. _She's leading me on. Is this her way of getting close to me?_ He paused. _Of course. If Cypressfall pretends to assume then she thinks I'm going to tell her how I really died. Well, tough luck, kitty! I know all your manipulative tactics!_

⠀ _⠀Well...because I've used them all as well.._

⠀⠀"Whatever," he huffed, sitting down. "If you're so against my way of doing things why don't you leave? Rushingpaw can come with me, we don't need you on this trip anyway."

⠀⠀Cypressfall's lack of finding hurt in those words really drove Batchaser crazy.

⠀⠀"OH! Do you think _Rushingpaw_ likes you? Of course, he died a second time for you, but that's only because you showed one last shred of emotions before." Batchaser opened his mouth to respond but was cut off. "Yeah, he told me everything. You meeting him? The fake prophecy? All your buddies and Shellstar?" The ShadowClanner's claws tore at the decaying grass under their paws. "Yeah. So I sort of know you, Batchaser. And I know Rushingpaw. _No. One. Likes. You_!"

⠀⠀Batchaser flinched, turning toward Rushingpaw, his fury brimming. "Is this true?"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw's ears flicked back, his eyes wide. "N-No, Batchaser, I swear I still—"

⠀⠀"NO! I've lost patience with you," the black tom hissed. "I tried to help you when I met you and I've been trying to help you now. And what do you do? Gossip about me behind my back? Even I wouldn't stoop that low!" Rushingpaw's eyes pooled with tears.

⠀⠀Batchaser shook with anger, his paws trembling. "Leave, then. If you really don't like me then go! Does it look like I have a problem? Is anyone holding you back? No! I can make this journey on my own!"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw shrunk back. "Pl-Please Batchaser—"

⠀⠀"I don't want to hear it." He chuckled darkly. "Go on ahead. I'll find you later, maybe not. I valued our friendship but I realize that my feelings haven't been returned. You're just like Jackalstar—a backstabber. Now GO!"

⠀⠀Rushingpaw cried. Batchaser glared at the unemotional Cypressfall, turning his back to the two cats he'd considered friends and stalked through the foliage, shadows clouding his heart.

⠀⠀ _If they don't want to be around me then that's fine. I'm fine. I don't care! I don't care at all! Nope, not one bit._

_⠀⠀I swear I don't care.._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: woaj how long has it been??? Y'all better be excited for this chapter BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL AM!!! 
> 
> I actually enjoyed writing this! A little angst because hey, why not right? Tell me what your favorite chapter has been so far! Favorite character? Event? I'd love to hear your feedback! Theories are AWESOME too!! What do you think is gonna later??? Did you spot any foreshadowing?? GO CRAZY!!
> 
> In the next chapter we have a lonesome Batchaser wandering the forest for escape...what will happen then?
> 
> STAY TUNED!! Love y'all and hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path!!


	25. Visiting Dreams

_"Who needs them, anyway? Not_ me! Nope, definitely not me!"

⠀⠀The black tom shouldered his way through the foliage, tall decaying leaves smacking him in the nose. Batchaser hissed and shoved them out of the way, his tail bristling angrily. Craning his head up to the dark red sky, the ShadowClanner's eyes slightly narrowed. _How am I gonna find my way out of this place?_

⠀⠀Despite how angry he was at Cypressfall and Rushingpaw, Batchaser had to admit that the two had been a useful addition to his team. Rushingpaw's good hearing and Cypressfall's knowledge and excellent tracking skills had actually really helped the group on the journey—but now that they were split? The black tom wasn't sure he'd ever find his way out of this stupid forest.

⠀⠀ _Filled with very dead-dead-dead hungry cats, might I add. Ugh, StarClan makes everything so confusing—I've been killed twice yet I'm still not dead. What kind of logic is_ that _?_

⠀⠀Huffing, Batchaser pricked his ears, hearing a shuffling sound nearby. _Prey? I hardly forgot how hungry I was—I don't think I've eaten this whole trip . . ._

⠀⠀His tail flicked with confusion. Now that he thought about it, he _hadn't_ eaten a single scrap of fresh kill—was it just the Forgotten Eternity? Did cats not go hungry here?

⠀⠀ _Unless I'm the prey._

⠀⠀Gulping, Batchaser spotted a large oak tree in the distance. Picking up his pace, fear carrying his paws onward, the tom leapt up and scrambled to the lowest branch, claws hooking into the bark as he heaved himself up another two or three levels. Humming silently, the ShadowClanner wove his way through hanging tendrils and found himself on a sprawling nest-like padding of leaves. His heart rate decreased and the tom sighed, exhaustion tugging at his mind. 

⠀⠀ _I'll continue on tomorrow . . ._

⠀⠀Batchaser curled up on the sturdy branches and let his eyes crack open to look at the starless sky.

⠀⠀ _Will I ever be able to make it back home?_

 

⋆⋆⋆

 

⠀⠀When Batchaser opened his eyes, he expected to be back in the Forgotten Eternity. However, his fur ruffled as a soft breeze blew by, and the ShadowClanner realized that the sky was a gentle shade of blue. Did that mean—?

⠀⠀"Hello?" Batchaser's ears swiveled to the empty meadow behind him, tulips kissing his paws. Growling, the black tom slashed them, bounding down the hill and examining his surroundings. Who had spoken? That voice . . . It sounded so familiar.

⠀⠀"Is uh. Anyone here?" Batchaser's heart lurched when he recognized the tone.

⠀⠀Only a ThunderClanner would be stupid enough to call out for someone in a dream.

⠀⠀Batchaser sprinted up another hill, his feet rooted to the ground. He truly hadn't expected to actually see her—the ShadowClanner figured it was some hallucination in this already dumb dream. But no; here she was, brown and white woven pelt standing out against the green grass below. Her blue eyes scanned around the place until they landed on Batchaser.

⠀⠀"BATCHASER!" Jackalstar propelled herself forward and into the tom's chest. He gasped and staggered back, falling on his back with the leader on his belly. His ears flicked back and he looked away.

⠀⠀"Um. This is kind of awkward."

⠀⠀"Oh." Scrambling off of the tom, Jackalstar bounced on her toes like an excited little kit. Despite everything that had happened, Batchaser was happy to see her. He truly had missed the ThunderClanner. "So you're alive? I . . . I wasn't sure whether or not you were still in the Forgotten Eternity."

⠀⠀The black tom sat down, blinking at her. "Yup. Still here, alone right now . . . How were you able to contact me?"

⠀⠀Jackalstar looked a little embarrassed. "I pulled a you."

⠀⠀". . . And that means?"

⠀⠀"Some older StarClan leaders closed off the border to the Star-lit Pool," she sighed. "I fed one poppy seeds from a finch and snuck past. I wanted to see if I could contact a living cat, but wasn't given the option to choose. Instead, I was sent here, but I'm actually quite happy about that."

⠀⠀Batchaser rolled his eyes. "Happy to see me? I'm surprised, especially after you decided I was better being used than an actual friend."

⠀⠀Jackalstar flinched. "Batchaser, I—"

⠀⠀"It's whatever," Batchaser huffed, paws shuffling. "I was a foxheart to you and honestly deserved that. Don't dwell on it too much. I'm escaping from here soon, anyway."

⠀⠀The she-cat looked surprised. "You don't need me to come save your tail?"

⠀⠀Batchaser scrunched up his nose. "Not for now, at least." He paused, gaze darkening. "How is StarClan? I don't imagine this is what it actually looks like."

⠀⠀Jackalstar instantly became stiff, her playful mood dwindling to specks of nothingness. "Follow me," she murmured, turning tail and leading him away from the field.

⠀⠀They walked for a while until the sky seemed to split in two. Batchaser froze, pieces of the blue sky falling away, dark storm clouds bubbling on the horizon. The fields were littered with specks of dead grass, gray sheets of rain pelting down on the rotting trees ahead. The black tom couldn't move; shock pulsed through him like an infected wound. _Is this really what StarClan looks like now? Is this the destruction I caused?_

⠀⠀Guilt twisting his heart, Batchaser turned away, hurt spiraling through his chest like a hurricane. "This is all my fault," he whispered, his voice breaking.

⠀⠀Jackalstar, realizing her friend's overcoming sadness, pushed her muzzle into his flank. "It's okay," she whispered, voice soft. "We're going to fix this, right? Once we get you out of that StarClan-forsaken place then all will be okay. We'll get the Clans to see some sense." She paused. "Even if this is sort of your fault."

⠀⠀ _Comforting as always._ Snorting, Batchaser pushed distance between the two, his pelt ruffling awkwardly. _I don't like being that close to Jackalstar. Not after she betrayed me like that_. Biting back bitterness, the black tom's tail flicked as the world around him began to grow blurry. "I suppose this means our dream is ending," he murmured.

⠀⠀Jackalstar seemed to notice the fading of light, her eyes widening. "No! You can't leave yet! We still have things to speak of!"

⠀⠀"Calm down," he huffed, claws ticking. "We'll see each other again soon. Hopefully I'll be out of this dreadful place in a few days and return to StarClan." His eyes darkened. "Then we'll fix this mess."

⠀⠀Jackalstar nodded, frozen as stone. "See you, Batchaser."

⠀⠀"See ya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW an update so soon??? Crazy right??? HAHAHAH. I'm actually quite happy with this chapter and my newfound motivation...so get ready for more!
> 
> Next chapter we have Batchaser running into some trouble and finding the next obstacle of the Forgotten Eternity...what could it be???
> 
> Thanks for reading, loves! Please vote and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path! 


	26. Blood River

_When he jerked awake from_ the dream, Batchaser knew he needed to continue on and finish the last two tasks of this stupid mission. 

⠀⠀The black tom hooked his claws into the bark, clawing down the trunk and hopping lightly on the dead grass beneath him. Batchaser trampled over weeds, ducking under swaths of leaves and shifting in and out between brambles. He twitched an ear, blue eyes narrowing slightly. The ShadowClanner had become accustomed to the lighter and darker shades of red in the sky, indicating whether it was day or night. Right now, the crimson was its lightest tint; it must've been early.

⠀ _⠀At least I can predict_ something _in this horrible place._

⠀⠀Huffing, Batchaser continued on for a while, silently confined to the thoughts of his own mind as he wandered around aimlessly. His paws often lead him in circles, making Batchaser angry and annoyed, but he felt a flutter of hope when the trees began to spread out and the grass grew taller below his feet.

⠀⠀ _Does this mean I'm almost out? I wonder if Cypressfall and Rushingpaw are out of the forest already as well_. The black tom then scowled and shook his head. _What does it matter though? Not like they care about me.... and I don't care about them!_

⠀⠀Gaze darkening, he pressed on and examined his surroundings carefully. The crack of a twig halted him in his tracks, his head swiveling to the side from reflex. Nothing.

⠀⠀ _Okay...not creepy at all..._

⠀⠀Huffing, Batchaser turned to continue but stopped when the gurgling of a river filled his ears. Eyes widening, excitement prickling trough his pelt, the ShadowClanner began to sprint toward the noise.

⠀ _⠀A river! Is this the next task?_

⠀⠀When Batchaser threw himself through entangled traps of thickets and stuck his head out the other side, every single bone in his body seemed to freeze. Horror trickled into his deep blue gaze and he let out a startled gasp, staggering forward on his paws, darkness surrounding his vision.

⠀⠀A blood river. The disgusting, thick, crimson liquid rapidly flew by, bubbles emerging at the surface, deepened streaks of red coursing through like glimpses of fish. Batchaser was horrified. He couldn't move; his paws were rooted in place, his muscles were stiff, and the horrible feeling creeping into his mind didn't calm the storm.

_⠀⠀Is this how much bloodshed I've cause based on that prophecy?_

⠀⠀Batchaser didn't have time to dwell on grief. A dark mass tangled itself in the black tom's grip and he screeched in shock, fur on end. What was even more terrifying was to claw at a rotting gray body, glassy white eyes glaring back at him with the ferocity of a venomous snake. Long, pointed fangs snapped at his face and Batchaser pulled back just in time, yelping when a whisker was ripped off of his muzzle. _No! Another dead-dead-dead cat! Are you kidding me?? I don't have time for this right now!_

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner was thrown off his paws and shook with terror when the two cats (neither truly living) tumbled into the red abyss below. Batchaser screamed with fear when the creature bit into his shoulder, metal flooding into his jaws and seeping into his lungs. The black tom gagged and outstretched his claws toward the surface, his body flying with the rapids. He attempted to swim but the disgust crawling up his throat was more than he could handle. He threw up slightly, eyes stinging madly from the blood. The dead-dead-dead cat was swept away from Batchaser, but that was about the only good thing right now.

⠀⠀He wasn't sure he could make it right now. Shadows pressed at the edges of his mind and threatened to tear apart any sanity left inside his soul. ... _no! I can't become one of those zombified cats! I have to prove everyone wrong... I'm not a bad cat... I swear..! I'M NOT!_

⠀⠀Determination caused adrenaline to filter through his veins. Despite the grossness of this whole ordeal, Batchaser managed to grip the bottom of the shallow river and propelled himself upwards, flying out of the blood and gripping onto a nearby rock. Gasping for air, Batchaser scrabbled onto land and immediately hunched over, heaving out what seemed to be buckets of crimson liquid. He threw up more, coughing and choking on the horrible taste. This was absolutely _terrible_!

⠀⠀"Agh..." he spluttered out, his lip shaking as he flattened himself to the ground. Overwhelmed by the shock, Batchaser let the trembling through his limbs subside and curled into a ball, his tail wrapping tightly around his body for much-needed warmth.

⠀⠀"StarClan. You look absolutely _pathetic_."

⠀⠀Batchaser jumped to his paws, claws flashing out before he even had time to think. He stopped, eyes widening to see the cats before him. A familiar white-and-brown pelt sloshed around through his mind and he smiled widely. "Jackalstar!"

⠀⠀ _Wow! They're all here! Jackalstar and Galewhisker....! And who is that? Oh, yes, that's..._

_⠀⠀Oh, stars._

_⠀⠀Oh, stars no, this can't be happening._

⠀⠀ _Dear StarClan please don't do this to me._

⠀⠀Jackalstar and Galewhisker exchanged a nervous glance and stepped out of the way, revealing a bulky white tom with black stripes crossing down his flanks. His eyes glinted against his odd fur coloring and Batchaser couldn't help but completely freezing up, anger and hurt and despair flickering a switch in his mind.

⠀⠀ _Shellstar..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes yes...a little cliffhanger eh? How did the three of them get here, though?? Well, find out next chapter! Where even reunites! But then again not everyone is so happy about it...


	27. Reunion

_"What in StarClan's name is he_ doing here?" Batchaser hissed, hackles rising, claws extending outwards as he shook with rage. The black and white tom shuffled his paws anxiously, head bowed with what looked like guilt.

_⠀⠀I don't care. That foxheart killed me. Why should I forgive him?!_

⠀⠀Jackalstar looked at Shellstar expectantly, curling her lips and smacking his face harshly. "Tell him, mousebrain!" she growled. "Or are you too scared now? You literally practiced this on our way to the Star-lit Pool fifty thousand times!"

⠀⠀"Probably about four," Galewhisker corrected, earning him a glare from Jackalstar. 

⠀⠀Shellstar was quiet for a few more moments before he looked up at Batchaser, eyes reflecting kit-like fear. He's scared of being rejected. Narrowing his eyes slightly, the black tom huffed and turned his head away. "Well, he clearly can't explain to me—"

⠀⠀"I'm _sorry_!" Shellstar wailed, a heartbroken cry wrenching from his throat. Batchaser cocked a brow at him. "I didn't mean to! I... I mean, I did...! But...it was a mistake. I made a mistake, like-like you made a mistake!" 

⠀⠀" _Oh_ , of course, blow this back on me!" the ShadowClanner snarled, neck fur bristling. "Because you can't truly apologize without making yourself feel better, right? At least I didn't kill a cat with my own claws! You idiot!" He lunged forward and sunk his thorn-sharp talons into Shellstar's chest, slamming him to the dusty ground with a fierce growl.

⠀⠀" _OKAY_! I really am sorry!" Shellstar covered his face with his paws, anticipating being struck. "I-I'm a horrible excuse for a feline and I know that now! I received my fair punishment, okay? Does that make you feel any better??" 

⠀⠀Batchaser knew the WindClan leader wasn't exactly the best with showing true emotions, but even he could tell Shellstar was truly being genuine. That caused his heart to almost stop, his tail flicking wildly behind him. _Someone actually feels guilt for hurting me?_ Batchaser though back to Lynxbite, a frown tugging at the edges of his lips. _I know_ she _never cared._

⠀⠀Shaking away the memories, Batchaser snorted and jumped off of the leader. "Fine. I accept your apology."

⠀⠀Shellstar jerked upwards, eyes wide. "Really?"

⠀⠀Batchaser glared at him. "Would you rather I don't?"

⠀⠀That shut the stupid leader up.

⠀⠀"So," Batchaser continued after a moment of silence, examining his claws. "What brings my three best buddies to The Forgotten Eternity?"

⠀⠀"Oh. Right." Jackalstar leapt to her paws and paced around the other three cats. "Well, you know how we talked about that stuff last night?" Batchaser nodded. "Okay, so after all of that I gathered up Galewhisker and Shellstar to the Star-lit Pool to talk to you more in-depth. But then... well, when we were teleported inside, we figured you'd be having another dream, right? Turns out you weren't but you connecting with me left the Forgotten Eternity open to outsiders... we were dropped off a ways away from you and started looking. Then Galewhisker—observant as ever—noticed your pathetic tail struggling in that absolutely disgusting river! So now here we are!" A moment of silence passed. "....yaaaay..?"

⠀⠀"I guess that makes sense," the black tom said with a shrug.

⠀⠀"Jackalstar." Galewhisker nudged the she-cat. "Are you going to tell him about..."

⠀⠀The ThunderClan leader's eyes glazed over with pain and she nodded slowly. "Right... um, Batchaser, after you were killed a few days ago, Rushingpaw.." Her voice shook and Shellstar's ears flattened with shame. "Rushingpaw attacked Shellstar with the rest of us... he snapped the little tom's neck and he died as well. Do you... do you know where he is...? Did he make it here or...or is the runt gone?"

⠀⠀"I truly do feel sorry for that," Shellstar murmured, defeated.

⠀⠀Batchaser tensed up, the muscles inside his body going stiff. He'd momentarily forgotten about Rushingpaw and Cypressfall. _I doubt they're sharing any good memories about me. They both hate my guts._

⠀⠀"Yeah," he finally spluttered out, earning surprised looks from the other three. "He was here with me. We met another sort of crazy she-cat named Cypressfall... she helped us on our journey but, uh, before I talked to you—" He motioned toward Jackalstar, "—we sort of split up after an argument. I'm not sure where they are, but I'm pretty sure they hate me."

⠀⠀"We don't hate you, Batchaser...!"

⠀⠀All four cats whipped around, pelts on end and ruffling with fear. Batchaser's eyes widened when he saw the familiar gray-blue shape of little Rushingpaw, and Cypressfall's lithe body, along with her cold mismatched eyes... he froze, paws shaking as his two former companions ran up to the others. Cypressfall held back, looking wary of meeting strangers. 

⠀⠀Before Rushingpaw could tackle Batchaser in a hug, he squealed with terror at the sight of Shellstar. The apprentice turned tail and hid behind Cypressfall, who narrowed her eyes at the black and white tom. "Um. Who exactly are you all?"

⠀⠀"These are my.... _friends_ ," Batchaser snorted, waving his paw toward the four felines. "Apparently they just made it in here. Jackalstar, Galewhisker, and... Shellstar."

⠀⠀"I really am sorry," Shellstar sighed, eyeing Rushingpaw with a guilty look. "I was so angry... I... I hardly knew what I was doing..."

⠀⠀The calico's eyes widened. "You're the one that killed Rushingpaw for the second time? He's just a _kit_!"

⠀⠀"Apprentice..." the small gray tom muttered, but looked up at Shellstar with wide eyes. "Are you... are you sure you feel sorry? I could forgive you... I'm glad I got to meet Cypressfall through all of this... but it was still hard, being killed ruthlessly.." 

⠀⠀"I know," the WindClan leader choked. "I truly feel horrible. Please forgive me."

⠀⠀"Okay..." Rushingpaw smiled up softly at Shellstar.

⠀⠀"Alright, enough reunion time, shall we get going?" All eyes turned to Batchaser and he met their gazes, shrugging. "What? I'm ready to get out of this place!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm now that the gang's all together what do you think is gonna happen? I'd love to hear all y'alls theories!!! There will be 60+ chapters so gotta fill it in somehow... but with what??? :ooo
> 
> Anyway, next chapter we have the next stage and we reach the end of the Forgotten Eternity... but somewhere much worse lies ahead!
> 
> Thank you all for reading! Please leave kudos and comment your thoughts, and may StarClan light your path!


	28. Sinkholes

_"I didn't expect the trek_ to be this long."

⠀⠀"This wasn't even a quarter of what _we_ had to go through," Batchaser mumbled, tail lashing back and forth like an angry adder. He already regretted letting the three stooges come along. This whole journey was turning even more sour than before, and Batchaser didn't particularly want to keep that bitter taste in his mouth.

⠀⠀Jackalstar huffed, splotch-ridden pelt ruffling through the wind. "Well, whatever. My legs hurt and I'm bored with you idiots."

⠀⠀"Are you talking about yourself?" the black tom snapped, sniffing around a particularly deep trench they stumbled across. _Hmm. Shallower than the one Rushingpaw nearly fell into earlier. Idiotic little weasel._

⠀⠀Jackalstar stopped, thinking about his words for a moment until they finally hit. "Hey! Wait!"

⠀⠀The ShadowClanner ignored her petty insults, sighing and craning his head up to the looming mountain. They didn't seem to have too long to go, and Batchaser was seriously ready for all of this to be over. The silent treatment from Cypressfall had been enough—listening to Rushingpaw's and Jackalstar's constant blabbering made him want to drive a pinecone into his head, and walking near the cat that had killed him a second time was igniting the anger stored deep within his broken soul. At least Galewhisker wasn't annoying, because that would be an extra cat to look forward to scratching.

⠀⠀"Over the hill and we should be close," Cypressfall murmured, speaking for what seemed like the first time in hours. "Wait... how many of these wolf claw's thingies have we finished again?"

⠀⠀Batchaser paused, counting on his claws. "Wolves... or that forest or whatever... that stupid maze, weird zombie cats, uhh...whatever is next? I really hope it's nothing insane. And I'm guessing the mountain is the last mark of the dragon's claw. Because if not, I'm throwing myself off that cliff. No regrets."

⠀⠀"No regrets from me either. Actually, I'd love it if you threw yourself off a cliff." Batchaser sent a glare in Jackalstar's direction but stopped in his tracks. He'd been in the middle of walking over another one of the deep trenches, but plumes of smoke began spilling into the air from below him. Heat billowed at his belly and he craned his head down.

⠀⠀"What in StarClan's name..?"

⠀⠀A deep, dark red flame was spiraling towards him. Batchaser screeched and threw himself out of the way, paws shaking as he scrabbled in the dirt. His blue eyes widened, watching the lava erupt from deep within the earth and breathing life into the sky. The six cats stopped, watching with awe before the ground rumbled below.

⠀⠀"Oh.... so _that's_ what the rumbling was," Cypressfall thought.

⠀⠀" _RUUUUUUN_!!!" Shellstar screeched, speeding towards the mountain without a second thought to help the others. Fire began erupting from the trenches behind them as well, sending shivers through the rock below. Galewhisker and Jackalstar, confused as ever, trampled after Shellstar with Batchaser hot on their tail. The black ShadowClanner whipped his head around to make sure his other two companions were okay—he was surprised when Cypressfall ran past him with Rushingpaw firmly grasped in her jaws.

⠀⠀"Come on, you stupid lump of fur!" Jackalstar screeched, stopping and turning to glare at him. "Are you just going to stand there like an idiot and get burned to death?!"

⠀⠀Batchaser felt fire lapping at his paws. He let out a cry of fear and ran as fast as his body would carry him. Jackalstar waited, perhaps the only selfless thing she'd ever done in her life, and ran for the mountain side-by-side with what could almost be considered her enemy.

⠀⠀All Batchaser knew was that clusters of fire were leaking into the sky and that the ground was rumbling dangerously. He stopped, eyes widening as he noticed a pale flame flicker in a trench in front of them. Jackalstar tried to jump over, but the black tom grabbed her scruff and roughly jerked her back.

⠀⠀She whipped to him, eyes wide with anger. "Why in StarClan's name would you do that?!"

⠀⠀Batchaser watched a beam of bright, melting light spill out in front of them and looked over at the ThunderClan leader. "That's why. Now let's get a move on."

⠀⠀The two continued sprinting, avoiding the deep pits that even seemed to be spreading out farther in front of them. But all Batchaser was thinking about was controlling his breathing and not collapsing out of pure exhaustion. His wounds from the wolves, despite him pushing the pain down, _hurt_. And he hated that this still plagued his mind and rattled his pride because ShadowClan cats didn't show weakness. They never did! And this would be... no.... no exception....

⠀⠀Batchaser slowed down, chest feeling like it was falling apart. His legs, so sore and tired from this whole expedition, gave out and he let out a soft moan as he smacked face-down into the dirt. Jackalstar didn't notice for a moment, but only realized her black counterpart wasn't there when his hoarse gasps had ceased. She turned to look at him, and for once, Batchaser saw raw emotion in her eyes. _Fear. She's scared for me. Maybe I should be scared, too._

⠀⠀But he wasn't. He couldn't find it deep within his soul to be scared, because such a large part of him didn't even care if he died. He'd caused enough trouble his entire life, from letting his own family die to watching desperately as his mate writhed for a breath of life. He was a disappointment. His own father hadn't even wanted him. What did that make Batchaser? It made him nothing.

⠀⠀" _Batchaser_!" Jackalstar's strangled sob broke through the air. He looked down, noticing burning lava seeping in through the cracks in the earth. He did the one thing he'd sworn in his mind not to do and turned around.

⠀⠀Everything was red. The ground was covered with liquid fire, smoke clouding around his face that he'd only just noticed. He couldn't see the specks of grass anymore, instead blobs of orange and crimson pooling below his feet. Batchaser closed _his eyes, shaking from nose to tail-tip. This is fine. Death is fine. The others will have escaped, that's all that matters... And even if I die? At least I did something before I'm gone. And if everything is a black void of nothingness after this_... His chest constricted. _It's worth it._

⠀⠀He was ready for the numb, emotionless feelings of loneliness that was soon to follow his death. But everything seemed like it was going to be swiped away suddenly, because someone grabbed his scruff, yanked him out of his place on the ground, and held him close.

⠀⠀A comforting paw wrapped around his neck and he pushed himself into the cat's chest fur, tears leaking out of his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, voice breaking. "I didn't... didn't mean to—"

⠀⠀"Hush," the voice replied, but was softer than when he'd ever heard it before. Jackalstar. This was Jackalstar speaking and Jackalstar holding him and Jackalstar nuzzling him into her chest and— he couldn't comprehend what was going on. Where was he? Was he even here? He didn't taste the vapor on his tongue and he didn't feel the liquid burning at his heels. Everything was safe here. _He_ was safe here. And he was with Jackalstar. Nothing could be more comforting.

⠀⠀"Come on," she murmured, tugging at his paws and turning. "Can you follow me?" Batchaser nodded weakly, shakily thrumming after her. She led him through the waves of flames rolling around them, the wind tugging at their whiskers, eyes wide and star-speckled and gleaming. They stepped past a rocky boulder and the stone ground underpaw faded away. The familiar feeling of soft, green grass returned to Batchaser and he was finally grounded. The ShadowClanner gasped, sinking into the dirt and breathing heavily, roughly. He was alive. He was alive. _He was alive and Jackalstar has saved him._

⠀⠀"Thank you," he coughed, the world beating into darkness around him. Jackalstar seemed worried, nosing his flank and not stopping until he softly groaned. But Batchaser could feel his life slipping away into the abyss, and he almost wanted it to take him. Perhaps he could. Perhaps he could leave all of this behind with no regrets and no worries and just... be alone. As he'd always wanted.

⠀⠀But another part said no. Another part of him said to stay, to fight for his friends and clean up the mess he'd created what felt like decades ago. _I sent a false prophecy to the four Clans and now I must deal with the fate. If I die— StarClan. What will I be remembered as? The weakling that couldn't even get through The Forgotten Eternity?_

⠀⠀That sent him spiraling into anxiety. He couldn't die, he couldn't. Batchaser had suddenly too much to live for and, even if he didn't like it, it was the hard truth. So it was to deal with it or let himself fall into the black without even going in an actual worthy way.

⠀⠀ _That can't happen..._

⠀⠀But despite everything his mind was telling him, the tom's lungs felt like they were filled with smoke and he wondered if his organs had been filled with ash. The red flames still flickered in his vision and he tensed up, claws sinking into the ground.

⠀ _⠀I can't leave... I can't... can't.._

⠀⠀He couldn't fight it. The numbness crept over like a constricting snake sneaking toward its prey. Batchaser grumbled something under his breath, eyes fluttering shut, all feelings and emotions dwindling into what seemed like nothing, nothing, nothing.

⠀⠀Batchaser was no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (:


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